


Play The Game | Jason Grace

by VanityNotLoveWasMyFolly



Series: Clara Castellan [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Codependent Siblings, F/M, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Luke Castellan had a point
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:28:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 127,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29343582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VanityNotLoveWasMyFolly/pseuds/VanityNotLoveWasMyFolly
Summary: Clara Castellan's life fell apart around her when her brother played against the gods - and lost. Alone and angry, she meets Jason Grace, Piper McLean and Leo Valdez, given no choice she heads out on a quest to save the life of a goddess who wants her dead. Thrown back into the world of myths and monsters, she wants nothing more than to leave, but everyone knows the Great Prophecy has been set in motion and the temptation to live again is getting stronger. So she gambles again, but this time, she's got everything to lose.But as the war against Gaea gears up, and Clara is stuck in the middle of it. Her boyfriend, best friend and her only chance at redemption hang in the balance. The fates hold a prophecy over her head that means the end of everything if she isn't careful and monster's whispers follow her every step. And even if Gaea is defeated, there's nothing that says the Olympians will let her escape a second time.
Relationships: Jason Grace/Clara Castellan, Jason Grace/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Clara Castellan [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2155401
Kudos: 3





	1. one | the boy with one shoe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It stung to remeber those times, before the war when everything was calm and simple. Sometimes, I wished things were still like that."

**i**

**clara**

**December, 2015**

The chariot ride to the Grand Canyon was almost enough to make me jump out to my death. I felt like I'd have to hand in my 'American' Card thinking that, but it was the truth.

Annabeth's voice cut through my head light a corrugated knife (which hurt, believe me, I've already taken one to the stomach). Butch's suspicious glare was really starting to get on my nerves and the bright sunlight was only exacerbating my already throbbing headache.

The truth was, I didn't want to be there in the first place. The only reason I was helping Annabeth was because Sally Jackson was the kindest woman to ever grace the Earth and I couldn't bear the thought of her being upset and worried over Percy's sudden disappearance. Annabeth on the other hand… well, I didn’t much care.

Who knows? Maybe Butch was right to look at me like I was as insane as my mom.

Our chariot landed one end of the Canyon's skywalk. The flying horses tucked in their wings and cantered nervously across the glass, as if they sensed it was near breaking. Annabeth leaped off before the chariot had even finished moving. She pulled a knife and ran toward the group of teens – presumably demigods – while the Butch was reining in the horses.

I followed her casually and left both my knives in their sheathes. I wasn't about to threaten some completely innocent half-bloods because a goddess (that was notorious for hating people like us) had sent Annabeth a dream telling her to go find some lad with one shoe.

“Where is he?” Annabeth demanded. Looking at the new half-bloods, I could tell they were older than thirteen, they should have been claimed by now but, to the surprise of exactly nobody the Gods weren’t keeping their promises. This time, my fingers did itch to draw Klevo and Kleftis, but it was no use – none of the gods were around.

Christ, I’d been back less than a day and I was already on the way to getting a migraine. Or committing patricide.

I was well aware that Annabeth thought I should be grateful to them – as if Zeus not executing me for 'treason' (which I didn’t commit) was some mark of mercy or kindness. 

_As if._

Maybe I should have tried to escape from the Princess Andromeda, but it's not a crime to want to stay with your family. I'd even passed information to Chiron about the incoming attacks. At least, I had while I still could.

“Where’s who?” The blonde boy asked. Even from ten-feet away I could see his clear blue eyes. His hair was standing on end like he'd been electrocuted and he looked like the kind of guy you would not want to piss off. Seriously, why was everyone so much taller than me? I was going to have to start wearing heels.

Annabeth frowned like his answer was unacceptable. Then she turned to the elf looking boy and the pretty Native American girl with feathers in her hair who were either side of Blondie. “What about Gleeson? Where is your protector, Gleeson Hedge?” She demanded.

Elf Boy cleared his throat. “He got taken by some… tornado things.”

“Venti,” Blondie said. “Storm spirits.”

That took me aback slightly. How did he know? On instinct, I turned to look to Grover for answers and then remembered he wasn't there. I shrugged and turned back, hoping no one had noticed.

Annabeth arched an eyebrow. “You mean anemoi thuellai? That’s the Greek term. Who are you, and what happened?”

Blondie (after introducing himself as Jason) did his best to explain, though it looked like he was finding it hard to meet Annabeth’s intense grey eyes. About halfway through the story, Butch came over from the chariot. He stood there glaring at the new half-bloods, his arms crossed. He had a tattoo of a rainbow on his biceps, which seems a little unusual to me until I remember he's a son of Iris. Like most of Camp Half Blood these days, Butch isn’t really my biggest fan, as far as he's concerned, I turned traitor for Luke's side during the Titan war and never turned back.

Shame, really, Butch wasn't that bad of a guy.

When Jason had finished his story, Annabeth didn’t look satisfied. “No, no, no! She told me he would be here. She told me if I came here, I’d find the answer.” She stamped her foot in frustration and I let an unwise giggle escape my lips. Now, don’t get me wrong – I tried to feel sorry for what Annabeth was going through, but then I'd remember her handing Luke the knife that killed him and a lot of my sympathy would die on the spot.

_Ha_. Just like Luke had.

“Annabeth,” the Butch grunted. He doesn’t do much more than grunt, maybe it’s a teenage boy thing? That’s what Thalia says.

“Check it out.” He pointed at Jason’s feet. He was still missing his left shoe and, apart from the fact his foot resembled a lump of charcoal, it meant he was the boy Hera had told Annabeth about in the vision.

Have I mentioned I hate demigod visions? Because I really do. They’re only mildly more palatable than the reoccurring demigod nightmares I get most nights. Usually, it’s Luke’s death. Or back with Livia on the Princess Andromeda. Sometimes I dream I'm back in the pit, but they're less frequent. Thalia said it was something to do with Apollo's healing powers, but I hadn't been listening too closely at the time, so it could have been anything for all I knew.

“The guy with one shoe,” said the Butch. “He’s the answer.”

“No, Butch,” She insisted. “He can’t be. I was tricked.” She glared at the sky as though shouting at it would get through to the Gods. “What do you want from me?” she screamed. “What have you done with him?”

The skywalk shuddered, and the horses whinnied urgently.

“Annabeth,” said Butch, “we gotta leave. Let’s get these three to camp and figure it out there. Those storm spirits might come back.”

She fumed for a moment. “Fine.” She fixed Jason with a resentful look. “We’ll settle this later.”

She turned on her heel and marched toward the chariot.

Piper shook her head. “What’s her problem? What’s going on?”

“Seriously,” Leo agreed.

“Come on,” I said, waving a hand for them to board the chariot, “We’ll make it clear on the way.”

“I’m not going anywhere with her.” Jason gestured toward the blonde. “She looks like she wants to kill me.” I didn't say anything because, really, I couldn’t fault him on that.

Butch hesitated. “Annabeth’s okay, its Clara you should worry about.” Okay, Butch, _rude_. I headed towards them deciding I didn’t want to deal with Annabeth. “You gotta cut Annabeth some slack. She had a vision telling her to come here, to find a guy with one shoe. That was supposed to be the answer to her problem.”

“What problem?” Piper asked.

“She’s been looking for one of our campers, who’s been missing three days,” Butch said. “She’s going out of her mind with worry. She hoped he’d be here.”

“Who?” Jason asked.

“Her boyfriend,” Butch said. “A guy named Percy Jackson.”

“But that doesn’t matter now,” I said, helping Piper onto the chariot. “We’ll get you somewhere safe. Then enjoy the Annabeth angst.” Butch shot me a glare that I readily ignored.

If they thought I was a bitch, I was happy to show them a bitch.

* * *

Piper stood in back of the chariot with Leo and Jason, Butch handled the reins, Annabeth fiddled with the navigation while I tried to get a read on the new demigods.

I could see Piper observing us all out of the corner of my eye but I wasn’t too worried, she seemed like a nice enough girl, and I as pretty confident that she wouldn’t cause unreasonable trouble. If I was being totally honest, half of me wanted her too – the petty, vicious parts of me wanted to see someone upset Annabeth, but I tried to make it shut up.

The chariot lurched and bumped. It had no seat belts and the back was wide open, which I’d always thought was a bit of a needless risk when monsters literally hunted us by smell anyway but hey, what do I know?

Jason stood right next to Piper: not really romantically but protective. As the mist burnt away from him it seemed to add years to his face. The guy looked about sixteen, seventeen maybe. He’d sky blue eyes, close-cropped blond hair, and a little scar on his upper lip. His face was kind and gentle, but a little sad. He was staring out at the horizon, presumably looking out for Camp Half Blood, I could see him taking note of us all too. I couldn't help myself being curious about him – something about him was intriguing.

There was something familiar about him too but I couldn’t place it for the life of me. Maybe it was still a trick of the mist? I was pretty sure I'd never met him in New Orleans, but I guess I could call Tori up and ask if she remembered him.

On the other side of Piper, Leo Valdez was bobbing up and down excitedly. “This is so cool!” He spat a pegasus feather out of his mouth. “Where are we going?”

“A safe place,” Annabeth said. “The only safe place for kids like us. Camp Half-Blood.”

“Half-Blood?” Piper was immediately on guard, I barely knew her and I could tell that easily. “Is that some kind of bad joke?” At a guess, she must have gotten some taunts for that throughout school.

Not really sure if I was supposed to say anything, I looked down at the land rolling away underneath us. I’d never really been to school, the only proper time I went was when Chiron sent me with Grover to meet an important half-blood. The half-blood turned out to be Percy. At the time I'd been happy to make friends with him, but now I wished it had never happened. 

“She means we’re demigods,” Jason said. “Half god, half mortal.”

I looked back at Jason – too quickly, my headache flared up – he shouldn’t really have known that, but he definitely wasn’t a monster. “You know more than you should, Jason." I said, without entirely thinking it through. From the navigation controls, Annabeth shot me a glare. "But you're right. Annabeth’s a daughter of Athena. Butch is the son of Iris, the rainbow goddess.”

Leo choked. “Your mom is a rainbow goddess?”

“Got a problem with that?” Butch said.

“No, no,” Leo said. “Rainbows. Very macho.”

I grinned, even as Annabeth shot me a glare. She did that a lot, it was starting to lose it's effect.

“Butch is our best equestrian,” Annabeth said. “He gets along great with the pegasi.”

“Rainbows, ponies,” Leo muttered.

“I’m gonna toss you off this chariot,” Butch warned.

“What about you?” Leo asked me, which made me scowl. For a minute I thought about helping Butch throw him off the chariot. I hated that question. I hated Hermes.

“I’m a daughter of Hermes.” I said reluctantly, looking away from Leo. Annabeth spared me another glare – which as more than I usually got from her, as if I was meant to be grateful to him or something. If he’d stuck around a little more Luke might not be dead and mom might not be crazy.

“Demigods,” Piper said. “You mean you think you’re… you think we’re—”

Lightning flashed. The chariot shuddered, and Jason yelled, “Left wheel’s on fire!”

I leaned over the side to look – sure enough, the wheel was burning, white flames lapping up the side of the chariot.

I wasn’t really surprised, today was just shaping up to be that sort of day. I swore colourfully.

The wind roared. I glanced behind us and catch sight of the dark shapes forming in the clouds, more storm spirits spiralling toward the chariot. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Piper do the same, which probably freaked her out a little.

I pulled Kleftis, one of my knives, from my belt in preparation for the fight I half hoped was coming. She was vicious, my Kleftis – with wickedly sharp edges one half was made of steel and the other of celestial bronze. Kleftis and Klevo were gifts from Luke, I loved fighting with them. It was the only thing that really made me feel like I was still alive recently. From the corner of my eye, I saw Butch shift uncomfortably; no one at came had forgotten the damage Luke could do with Backbiter and Kleftis and Klevo were fashioned in the same way.

Just another reason no one trusted me. I should start keeping a list.

She started to say, “Why are they—”

“Anemoi come in different shapes,” Annabeth said. “Sometimes human, sometimes stallions, depending on how chaotic they are. Hold on. This is going to get rough.”

Butch flicked the reins. The pegasi put on a burst of speed, and the chariot blurred.

My vision went black, and when it came back to normal, we were above Camp Half Blood. It should have felt like coming home, looking at the lush green valley, like an island of springtime, rimmed with snowy hills on three sides and water to the north, the ball courts, a lake, the climbing wall, the cabins and the Big House but it didn't. The whole place looked bleak now. 

Before I could try to banish the thought from my head, the chariot dropped out of the air.

Annabeth, Butch and I tried to maintain control, but there was no chance. The pegasi laboured to hold the chariot in a flight pattern, but they seemed exhausted from their burst of speed, and bearing the chariot and the weight of six people was just too much.

I could feel my heart beating wildly in my chest

“The lake!” Annabeth yelled. “Aim for the lake!”

I only had a half second to think and probably couldn’t have grabbed anyone even if that had been my first priority. “Maia!” I commanded, rising out of the falling chariot as the wings on my shoes flapped to life – a gift from Luke. I touched down calmly on the shore as nymphs pushed the others out of the water and onto the river bank. Judging by their shell shocked expressions the water must have been _c-o-l-d_.

Although, Butch stood in the lake, cutting the wrecked harnesses off the pegasi as if he hadn’t just taken a dip in a freezing lake. Fortunately, the horses looked okay, but they were flapping their wings and splashing water everywhere. Which – you know, not great.

An Apollo camper (I didn’t know his name) took Piper by the arms and helped her stand as a detail of campers ran up with big bronze leaf blower–looking things and blasted Piper and the others with hot air; and in about two seconds their clothes were dry. I grinned to myself for a second; my shoes really were cool.

There were at least twenty campers milling around — the youngest maybe nine, the oldest college age, eighteen or nineteen — and all of them in our typical orange t-shirts. I suddenly felt awkwardly out of place – I shouldn’t be here, I didn’t fit anymore, not after the War and everything that happened with Luke. With him gone, everything felt like it was clockwork working slightly out of time with each other.

I looked back at the water and saw the wreckage of the chariot get tossed from the lake and land nearby with a wet crunch. I winced a little as Will elbowed his way through the crowd. “Annabeth! I said you could borrow the chariot, not destroy it!”

“Will, I’m sorry,” Annabeth sighed. “I’ll get it fixed, I promise.”

Will scowled at his broken chariot. Then he sized up Piper, Leo, and Jason. “These are the ones? Way older than thirteen. Why haven’t they been claimed already?” I’m not sure if he’d noticed me, since Michael Yew was killed he hadn’t been that fond of me which was totally fair. I deserved that.

“Claimed?” Leo asked.

Before Annabeth or I could explain, Will said, “Any sign of Percy? And who's-” He stopped.

Okay, so now he recognised me. “Will.” I greeted, trying to be nice but having no way proper idea how. In my experience there was nothing anyone could say to make the loss of a brother more palatable.

For a few tense seconds he regarded me in silence, out of the corner of my eye I could see the camper’s heads looking between me and Will like we were a particularly exciting tennis match.

“Clara.” He replied, he attempted something like a smile which I appreciated. I nodded to him and tried a smile, it felt unnatural. Since Luke died I hadn’t done much smiling. “Percy?” Will asked again, turning to focus on Annabeth.

“No,” Annabeth admitted.

The campers muttered.

Drew stepped forward, the same as ever. Tall, Asian, dark hair in ringlets, plenty of jewellery, and perfect makeup, somehow she managed to make jeans and an orange T-shirt look glamorous. She glanced at Leo, fixed her eyes on Jason like he might be worthy of her attention, then curled her lip at Piper as if she were a week-old burrito that had just been pulled out of a Dumpster. It made me want to laugh, Piper looked a lot better than Drew as far as I was concerned. From the look on Piper’s face I could tell she’d picked up on Drew's general bitchiness too.

“Well,” Drew said snidely, “I hope they’re worth the trouble.”

Leo snorted. “Gee, thanks. What are we, your new pets?”

“No kidding,” Jason said. “How about some answers before you start judging us — like, what is this place, why are we here, how long do we have to stay?”

There was something about him – some kid of aura, y’know. Power. I got the feeling that he’d be terrifying if he got angry – if he lost his temper.

“Jason,” Annabeth said, “I promise we’ll answer your questions. And Drew”—she frowned which was pretty normal for her —“all demigods are worth saving. But I’ll admit, the trip didn’t accomplish what I hoped.”

_No shit._

“Hey,” Piper said, “we didn’t ask to be brought here.”

Drew sniffed. “And nobody wants you, hon. Does your hair always look like a dead badger?”

Piper stepped forward, ready to smack her, but I stepped towards Piper. “Piper, stop.”

Piper did, taking me off guard slightly. In the mortal world, no one gave me a second glance, certainly no one was _intimidated_ by me. To be fair, I can see why, I was barely five foot two (Travis says I’m not even five foot one but he _lies_ ) and Tartarus had fucked with me, doing nothing but drinking fire had messed with my health. I couldn’t breathe as well anymore, I kept an inhaler on me at all times now. It had not been a fun experience finding out I needed it, by the way, alone in the middle of Tokyo, unable to get any air in my lungs. My bones stuck out at awkward angles and I was well aware that I looked like a walking skeleton. I’d managed to _really_ freak a few people out on Halloween – including Tori, who'd promptly thrown a shoe at me.

_Good times._

“We need to make our new arrivals feel welcome,” Annabeth said, with another pointed look at Drew. “We’ll assign them each a guide, give them a tour of camp. Hopefully by the campfire tonight, they’ll be claimed.”

“Would somebody tell me what claimed means?” Piper asked.

Suddenly there was a collective gasp. The campers backed away. It was obvious from her face that at first Piper thought she’d done something wrong. Then she realized their faces were bathed in a strange red light, as if someone had lit a torch behind her.

Floating over Leo’s head was a blazing holographic image —a fiery hammer.

“That,” I said dryly, “is claiming.”

“What’d I do?” Leo backed toward the lake. Then he glanced up and yelped. “Is my hair on fire?” He ducked, but the symbol followed him, bobbing and weaving so it looked like he was trying to write something in flames with his head. I laughed despite myself, Annabeth glared at me for it but that only made me laugh more.

“This can’t be good,” Butch muttered. “The curse—”

“Butch, shut up,” Annabeth said. “Leo, you’ve just been claimed—”

“By a god,” Jason interrupted. “That’s the symbol of Vulcan, isn’t it?”

All eyes turned to him.

“Jason,” Annabeth said carefully, “how did you know that?”

“I’m not sure.”

I kind of felt sorry for the guy, it must be frustrating to have to tell everyone the same thing over and over.

“Vulcan?” Leo demanded. “I don’t even LIKE Star Trek. What are you talking about?”

“How do you not like Star Trek?” I demanded suddenly, Annabeth sent me a sharp look which did absolutely nothing to deter me. Instead, I smiled back at her in a way I knew would infuriate her.

Was she like this when we were young? She couldn’t have been, we would’ve torn each other’s throats out by the time when we were ten. It stung to remember those times, before the war when everything was calm and simple. Sometimes I wish things were still like that, it’d be nice to be best friends with Annabeth the way we used to be, I missed her smartass comments sometimes. I wonder if she ever missed me.

“Vulcan is the Roman name for Hephaestus,” Annabeth explained, “the god of blacksmiths and fire.”

The fiery hammer faded, but Leo kept swatting the air like he was afraid it was following him. “The god of what? Who?”

Annabeth turned to the Will again. “Will, would you take Leo, give him a tour? Introduce him to his bunk-mates in Cabin Nine.”

“Sure, Annabeth.”

“What’s Cabin Nine?” Leo asked. “And I’m not a Vulcan!”

“Come on, Mr Spock, I’ll explain everything.” Will put a hand on his shoulder and steered him off toward the cabins.

Annabeth turned her attention back to Jason. She studied him more like he was a complicated blueprint. The expression was so painfully familiar that I almost flinched. This was exactly why I stayed away from Camp, I needed the distance.

I’d leave as soon as possible, I decided. Tomorrow morning if I could cut it, in all fairness it could be nice to spend one night in a proper clean bed instead of going back to some dodgy Nevada motel.

Finally Annabeth commanded, “Hold out your arm.”

I saw what she was looking at and my eyes widened.

Jason had taken off his windbreaker after his dip in the lake, leaving his arms bare (he had nice arms, I noted absently), and on the inside of his right forearm was a tattoo. It was darkly etched, impossible to miss: a dozen straight lines like a bar code, and over that an eagle with the letters SPQR.

That… that wasn’t good.

Luke had theorised… he’d thought…

No. It couldn’t be.

“I’ve never seen marks like this,” Annabeth said. “Where did you get them?” I carefully kept my face out of Annabeth’s line of vision she knew me well enough to know when I was hiding things and I couldn’t tell anyone – I was probably wrong either way, if there really was… _Romans_ … we’d know. We would’ve run into them.

For the first time in months I prayed. I prayed I was wrong. Romans and Greeks did not mix and more than enough crazy had already gone down. We didn’t need this as well.

Jason shook his head. “I’m getting really tired of saying this, but I don’t know.”

The other campers pushed forward, trying to get a look at Jason’s tattoo.

“They look burned into your skin,” Annabeth noticed.

“They were,” Jason said. Then he winced as if his head was aching. “I mean… I think so. I don’t remember.”

No one said anything. The camp saw Annabeth as the leader. They were waiting for her verdict.

“He needs to go straight to Chiron,” Annabeth decided. “Drew, would you—”

Really, Annabeth? Does the bloke deserve that?

“Absolutely.” Drew laced her arm through Jason’s. “This way, sweetie. I’ll introduce you to our director. He’s… an interesting guy.” She flashed Piper a smug look and led Jason toward the big blue house on the hill.

The crowd began to disperse, until only Annabeth, Piper and I were left.

“Who’s Chiron?” Piper asked. “Is Jason in some kind of trouble?”

Annabeth hesitated. “Good question, Piper, but it’s probably complicated. Clara will give you a tour. I need to talk to Will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm Evie! 
> 
> This is a rewrite of the similar story I wrote with a few things changed and better writing. Definitely more exploration of things and people and friendships and relationships. You know, stuff like that. I love writing for Clara and it's such fun getting into her head lol
> 
> This is a re-publishing of it too, as it's already on Quotev, so please enjoy! 
> 
> So yeah, I hope you enjoy it!


	2. two | piper mclean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The last time I'd been here it had been the burning heat of August – August 18th – and I'd still been covered in blood. It was drying into stiff, red-brown stains on my skin. I could remember panicking, thinking I'd never be able to get it off my skin."

**ii**

**clara**

**December, 2015**

I tried to tell Piper about Camp and sound cheerful about it, but I worried it didn't come across that way.

I did my best to talk about all the amazing stuff the camp offered — magic archery, pegasus riding, the lava wall, fighting monsters — but my combined headache and exhaustion made it had to think, let alone talk. I pointed out the open-air dining pavilion that overlooked Long Island Sound. (Yeah, Long Island, New York; we’d travelled that far on the chariot). I explained how Camp Half-Blood was mostly a summer camp, but some kids stayed here year-round, and they’d added so many campers it was always crowded now, even in winter. I tried not to let that get under my skin – it was a good thing, I knew that, I just wasn't too much of a fan of change.

At one point Piper asked me, shyly, if it was possible to flunk out of monster fighting. I bit back my immediate response that flunking out was basically just getting eaten, and attempted reassurance. "It's not as bad as you think, fighting's in your blood. And besides, there are plenty of trainers around."

As we climbed a hill at the edge of camp, we got an amazing view of the valley — a big stretch of woods to the northwest, a beautiful beach, the creek, the canoe lake, lush green fields, and the whole layout of the cabins — a bizarre assortment of buildings arranged like a Greek omega, Ω, with a loop of cabins around a central green, and two wings sticking out the bottom on either side. Piper counted twenty cabins in all. Apollo's glowed golden, Artemis' silver. Demeter's had grass on the roof. Ares' was bright red with barbed wire trenches. The Hades cabin was black with fiery green torches out front.

All of it looked like a different world from the snowy hills and fields outside.

“The valley is protected by the mist,” I explained, "so mortals can't see it. The weather is controlled, too. Each cabin represents a Greek god — a place for that god’s children to live.”

From what I could see, Piper was handling the news quite well. I was a little surprised honestly, when Percy found at – it had taken him a while to work out – he'd denied it for as long as he could.

“You’re saying Mom was a goddess.” Piper checked. In the golden light, her skin glowed so much she could've been Tori. I felt a pang in my chest, I hadn't visited her in months, just texting every few days. _Good job repairing that relationship,_ I berated myself.

I nodded. “You’re taking this pretty calmly.”

Piper took a shaky breath. “I guess after this morning, it’s a little easier to believe. So who’s my mom?”

“We should know soon,” I said. “You’re what — sixteen?" She nodded. "Same. The gods are supposed to claim you when you’re thirteen. That was the deal.”

“The deal?”

_The deal my brother died for._

“They made a promise last summer… they promised not to ignore their demigod children anymore, to claim them by the time they turn thirteen."

I paused, resisted the urge to throw something and ran a hand though my hair. "But they're not." Piper guessed.

"They're not." I agreed. "Took all of a few months to break that oath." I swallowed my annoyance, trying to find something positive instead. "I mean, it happened quickly for Leo. Should happen for you soon. Tonight at the campfire, I bet you'll get claimed.”

The truth was, I wasn't so sure, but Piper already looked so miserable and I didn't want to make it any worse than it already was. I didn't know her well, barely knew her at all, but she seemed kind, she didn't deserve to know that, in all honesty, the Gods just didn't care.

“Why thirteen?” Piper asked, sounding pretty miserable.

“The older you get the more monsters notice you, try to eat you." I explained. "’Round thirteen is usually when it starts. That’s why Chiron sends protectors into the schools to find half-bloods, get them to camp before the eating bit.”

“Like Coach Hedge?”

“He’s — he was a satyr: half man, half goat. Satyrs work for the camp, finding demigods, protecting them, bringing them to camp.” I explained. I hadn’t known Gleeson Hedge personally, I'd just heard a report from him during the Titan War while he was stationed in Canada.

“What happened to him?” she asked. “When we went up into the clouds, did he… is he gone for good?”

“I don't know.” I said, because I didn't. “Storm spirits are difficult to battle at the best of times. Even our best weapons, Celestial bronze, will usually pass right through them.”

“Jason’s sword just turned them to dust,” Piper remembered.

“He was lucky, then." I said, but I didn't believe it; there was something special about Jason – that much was obvious. "If you hit a monster just right, you can dissolve them, send their essence back to Tartarus.”

“Tartarus?” Piper asked.

I winced. My time in the pit hadn't be fun, but at least I could barely remember it. Apollo, when he healed the stab wounds in my chest and stomach after the Battle of Manhattan had made the memories misty, almost unreachable. They showed up sometimes in my nightmares, but usually, I was alright. I sure as hell never tried to remember what it was like. The only constant reminder I had – my throat burned by the acrid air – was enough to convince me that I didn't want to know. Tori had asked about that, and although she knew some of the things Luke and I were involved in and some of the myths, I'd never been able to bring myself to tell her about that. It was alright, she stopped asking, putting it down to asthma.

“A huge abyss in the Underworld, where the worst monsters come from. Basically a bottomless pit of evil. Anyway, once monsters dissolve, it usually takes months, even years before they can re-form again. But since this storm spirit Dylan got away — well, I don’t know why he’d keep Hedge alive. Hedge was a protector, though. He knew the risks. Satyrs don’t have mortal souls. He’ll be reincarnated as a tree or a flower or something.”

I realised a second after I'd said it that it might have just made it worse. Trying to imagine Grover as a cheerful cherry tree had been heart breaking back when he'd disappeared, visualising Gleeson Hedge as an angry clump of pansies probably wasn't that helpful.

Piper gazed at the cabins below, looking uneasy.

“It’ll be okay,” I promised. “You have friends here. We’ve all been through a lot of weird stuff. We know what you’re going through.”

“I’ve been kicked out of five different schools the past five years,” she said. “My dad’s running out of places to put me.”

“Only five?” I asked, completely serious. “Piper, we all get labelled troublemakers. I was kicked out of the only school I ever went to within two semesters.”

“Seriously?”

I nodded.

"How come you never went back to school?"

I half shrugged. It always sounded normal to me, but I guess I was pretty biased. "I ran away from home when I was young and lived at camp year round, never thought about it I guess."

"Wow. That's-" she broke off and blinked.

"I'm serious though, most of us are diagnosed with ADHD or dyslexia, or both—”

“Leo’s ADHD,” Piper said. She blushed, making it pretty easy to pick up that she had one of them, but didn't volunteer any information.

“Right. It’s because we’re hardwired for battle. Restless, impulsive — we don’t fit in with mortal kids. You should hear how much trouble Percy—” I stopped abruptly and winced. I hated thinking about Percy, it only ever ended in me thinking about Luke's death. “Anyway, demigods get a bad rep. How’d you get in trouble?”

“I steal stuff,” Piper admitted, which I could respect, it must have taken guts to come clean like that. “Well, not really steal…”

“Is your family poor?”

Piper laughed bitterly. “Not even. I did it… I don’t know why. For attention, I guess. My dad never had time for me unless I got in trouble.” My chest clinched in sympathy.

"I get it. And I'd have no leg to stand on to judge anyway. But you said you didn’t really steal? What do you mean?”

“Well… nobody ever believes me. The police, teachers — even the people I took stuff from: they’re so embarrassed, they’ll deny what happened. But the truth is, I don’t steal anything. I just ask people for things. And they give me stuff. Even a BMW convertible. I just asked. And the dealer said, ‘Sure. Take it.’ Later, he realized what he’d done, I guess. Then the police came after me.”

Piper waited like she was used to people calling her a lair. When she looked back up at me, I just nodded.

“Interesting. If your dad were the god, I’d say you’re a child of Hermes, god of thieves. We can be pretty convincing. But your dad is mortal…”

“Very,” Piper agreed, then, "He's your dad, right?" I nodded.

"Unfortunately," I confirmed, then shook my head, not coming up with any answers. “I don’t know, then. With luck, your mom will claim you tonight.”

Piper stayed silent for a few moments, looking like she was lost in her own head. I took a moment to study her and try and work out who her parent could be.

“Come on,” I said at last. “There’s someone I should check up on.”

We hiked a little farther until we reached a cave near the top of the hill. Bones and old swords littered the ground. Torches flanked the entrance, which was covered in a velvet curtain embroidered with snakes. It looked like the set for some kind of twisted puppet show.

“What’s in there?” Piper asked, sounding apprehensive.

I poked my head inside, but Rachel was nowhere in sight. “Nothing at the moment. But Rachel usually lives there – I was hoping she might know something.”

“Your friend lives in a cave?”

Despite my headache, I laughed. “Her family has a luxury condo in Queens, and she goes to a finishing school in Connecticut. But when she’s here at camp, yeah, she lives in the cave. She’s our oracle, tells the future and stuff. I was hoping she could help—”

“Find Percy,” Piper guessed.

Piper was right – that should have been my first priority, but I was more worried about other things. Monsters had been reforming quicker than ever, I'd hoped Rachel would have some of the answers. I raked my hand through my hair as guilt burned in my stomach. I'd known Percy for years, but what boiled down to one moment changed everything – now I couldn't bring myself to think about him. Maybe there was something broken in me?

“That’s – a dragon,” Piper stammered, staring at Thalia's pine in shock. “That’s the actual Golden Fleece?”

"Oh – um–" I looked up and finally caught on to what she meant. "Yeah, it is." I fought back a yawn. "I'm sorry – I'm a little tired."

“You look ready to drop,” Piper observed. “How long have been searching for Annabeth's boyfriend?”

“Oh, I haven't I just ran into Annabeth this morning. She's been searching for a few days.”

“And no one's got no idea what happened to him?”

I shook my head. “None at all. He just disappeared. Three days ago, according to Annabeth.”

“How long were they together?”

“Since August,” I said, almost able to taste the scorn and bitterness on my tongue. “August eighteenth.” And yet, Annabeth would claim that she loved Luke – like a brother or a crush, whatever – but the same day he died she and Percy -

“Almost exactly when I met Jason,” Piper said. “But we’ve only been together a few weeks.”

I winced. “Piper… about that. Maybe you should sit down.”

Piper balked like she knew where this was going. “Look, I know Jason thought — he thought he just appeared at our school today. But that’s not true. I’ve known him for four months.”

"It's the mist," I told her, "It's tricked you."

“Missed… what?” She asked, sounding lost. Instantly, I wanted to kick myself – that was quite an important bit of the explanation to forget.

“M-i-s-t." I said, kind of worried I'd mess it up, "It bends reality so mortals can't seem monster and stuff. It makes mortals see things in a way they can understand — like their eyes might just skip over this valley completely, or they might look at that dragon and see a pile of cables.”

Piper swallowed. “No. You said yourself I’m not a regular mortal. I’m a demigod.” She sounded desperate, like even she knew she was grasping at straws. I felt like a horrible person for it, but I pressed on.

“It can affect demigods too, especially when they don't know they're demigods. Monsters infiltrate some place like a school, pass themselves off as human, and everyone thinks they remember that person. They believe they've always been around. The Mist can change memories, even create memories of things that never happened—”

“But Jason’s not a monster!” Piper insisted, blinking rapidly. “He’s a human guy, or demigod, or a half-blood, or whatever you want to call him. My memories aren’t fake. They’re so real. The time we set Coach Hedge’s pants on fire. The time Jason and I watched a meteor shower on the dorm roof and I finally got the stupid guy to kiss me...”

She told me all about her whole semester at Wilderness School. She’d liked Jason from the first week they’d met. He was so nice to her, and so patient, he could even put up with hyperactive Leo and his stupid jokes. He’d accepted her for herself and didn’t judge her because of the stupid things she’d done. They’d spent hours talking, looking at the stars, and eventually holding hands. All that couldn’t be fake, she insisted.

I shook my head. “Piper, your memories are a lot sharper than most. I’ll admit that, and I don’t know why that is. But I promise it was the mist. You don't know him—”

“I do!”

“Then where is he from?” I asked, feeling like a complete bitch.

Piper looked like she’d been hit between the eyes. “He must have told me, but—”

I tried to be as gentle as I could, which I had doubts about my ability to be, knowing it would be rough on her. "Did he ever tell you about his parents, or his home, or his old school? Have you ever seen his tattoo before?"

“I—I don’t know, but—”

“Piper, what’s his last name?”

She started to cry. She slumped down on the rock next to us and fell to pieces. My heart went out to her. I could remember feeling like that in the moments after Ethan died, as if ground was disintegrating underneath my feet, at least for a few minutes before Luke died, which was the worst pain I've ever felt and I'd heard Tori sob uncontrollably over the phone after her boyfriend had cheated on her.

I sat down next to Piper and offered her a hand. She took it as she tried to get her breathing back under control and stop crying.

“We’ll figure it out, Piper." I tried to reassure her, "Jason’s here for real now, a good a second chance as any, right?" I wasn't sure that came out the way I meant it to, but I hoped I hadn't missed the mark too badly.

Piper brushed the heel of her palm against her cheek to get rid of the tears. “You brought me up here so no one would see me blubbering, huh?”

I shrugged awkwardly and tried not to look her in the eyes. “I figured it would be hard for you." Annabeth certainly fallen to pieces now that Percy wasn't around, and Tori always said a shoulder to cry on was the most helpful thing around during a breakup (well, that and ice cream).

“But I still can’t believe… I know we had something. And now it’s just gone, like he doesn’t even recognize me. If he really did just show up today, then why? How’d he get there? Why can’t he remember anything?”

“I don't know,” I replied honestly. “Hopefully Chiron can figure it out. But you should try to get settled for now. The rest will come later. You ready to go back down?”

Piper gazed at the crazy assortment of cabins in the valley. She looked deep in thought, and kind of reluctant, which I could understand, so I gave her time.

“Yeah,” she said, but I knew, instinctually, that she was lying. “I’m ready.”

* * *

On the central green, a group of Apollo campers were playing basketball. They were incredible shots. Nothing bounced off the rim. Three-pointers went in automatically.

“Apollo’s cabin,” I explained. “Bunch of show-offs with missile weapons — arrows, basketballs.” I tried not to sound annoyed since I knew it wasn't them I had an issue with, but Camp Half-Blood was a strange place now. It put me on edge in a way it hadn't for years. It wasn't home anymore – that much was clear.

We walked past a central fire pit, where two guys were hacking at each other with swords. They're technique was way off, so I guessed they must have been new, but I didn't say as much to Piper because she already looked sort of freaked.

“Real blades?” She sounded disturbed. “Isn’t that dangerous?”

“That’s sort of the point,” I said, then winced, remembering Ethan wincing at every pun I made. He was right, they really weren't funny. “Uh, sorry. Bad pun. That’s Annabeth's cabin over there. Number Six.” I nodded to a grey building with a carved owl over the door. Through the open doorway, I could see bookshelves, weapon displays, and one of those computerized SMART Boards they have in classrooms. Two girls were drawing battle diagram, probably for the next round of capture the flag.

“Speaking of blades," I decided, glancing at Annabeth's cabin, “come here.”

I led Piper around the side of the cabin, to a big metal shed that looked like it was intended for gardening tools, which of course wasn't what we'd put in it. I didn't have a key, so I just pressed my fingers against the lock until I heard it click open. The shed was lined with all sorts of weapons — from swords to spears to daggers like Annabeth's.

“Every demigod needs a weapon,” I said. “Hephaestus makes the best, but we have a pretty good selection, too. Cabin Six super into strategy and all that." I nodded to Annabeth's cabin, "But as long as it feels right you should be golden."

That was the rule I'd always gone with and it worked out fine. I think the Athena kids over complicated it.

Unfortunately, the first sword I handed Piper was a so heavy Piper could barely lift it.

“No,” we both said at once.

I rummaged a little farther in the shed, discarding multiple broad swords and a scythe, and brought out something else.

“A shotgun?” Piper asked. She raised an eyebrow doubtfully.

“Mossberg 500.” I checked the pump action. “Don’t worry. It doesn’t hurt humans. It’s modified to shoot Celestial bronze, so it only kills monsters.”

“Um, I don’t think that’s my style,” Piper said, haltingly.

“Fair enough," I grinned. "It's a bit flashy." I put the shotgun back and started poking through a rack of crossbows when I heard Piper move to the right.

“What is that?” she asked. “A knife?”

I stood up and joined her on the right rack. I dug it out and blew the dust off the scabbard. A few markings gave away exactly which knife it was. A cold feeling, like ice being dripped down my back, ran through me.

“Yeah. A dodgy one." I said, "Swords are usually better."

“You use knives.” Piper pointed to Klevo and Kleftis, so I couldn't really argue with her.

“Fair,” I said, “Well, take a look if you want.”

The sheath was worn black leather, bound in bronze. The polished wood handle was clearly a perfect fit in Piper’s hand. When she unsheathed it, the triangular blade looked to be about eighteen inches long — bronze gleaming like it had been polished yesterday. The edges were deadly sharp.

“It suits you,” I observed. “That kind of blade is called a parazonium. It was mostly ceremonial to show you were wealthy and powerful and stuff, but in a fight, it could protect you just fine.”

“I like it,” Piper said. “Why didn’t you think it was right?”

I exhaled. “That blade has a long story. Most people would be afraid to claim it. Its first owner… well, things didn’t turn out too well for her. Her name was Helen.”

Piper let that sink in. I waited a beat, wanting her to realise and not push it onto her. “Wait, you mean the Helen? Helen of Troy?”

I nodded. "Yeah."

“And it’s just sitting in your tool shed?” Piper asked, looking like she'd rather have been handling the dagger with surgical gloves.

“We’re surrounded by Ancient Greek stuff,” I pointed out. “Weapons like that — they aren't made to be locked in a glass case, they’re made to be used. That was a wedding present from Menelaus, Helen’s first husband. She named the dagger Katoptris.”

“Meaning?”

“Mirror,” I translated. “Looking glass. Probably because that’s the only thing Helen used it for. I doubt it’s ever seen battle.”

Piper looked at the blade again. For a moment, she looked normal. Then her face fell and she paled rapidly. The blade slid out of her fingers.

“Piper?” I asked, but she didn't seem to hear. My heart rate sped up, this kind of thing always meant bad stuff was coming. I shouted to the Apollo kids on the court, “Medic! I need some help over here!”

“No, it’s — it’s okay,” Piper managed. One of her hands clutched my arm like it was the only thing keeping her upright, which sounded dodgy because a stiff breeze could easily knock me over.

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I just…” She blinked hard and picked up the dagger with trembling fingers. “I just got overwhelmed. So much happening today. But… I want to keep the dagger, if that’s okay.”

I hesitated. Then I waved off the Apollo kids. “If you’re sure. You turned really pale, there. I thought you were having a fit or something.”

“I’m fine,” Piper promised, though she still looked a little pale. “Is there… um, a phone at camp? Can I call my dad?”

I figured it couldn't do much harm to let her borrow mine. It's not even like I used it for anything important. I had Mrs Jackson's number but I hadn't called since I'd first ended up with Luke on the Princess Andromeda, I almost felt bad about it but whenever I thought of anything to do with Percy I thought I would throw up. It wasn't his fault, but after everything… I just hadn't called. I probably wouldn't in the end. The only person I really kept in contact with was Tori, and even that was irregular.

“We aren’t allowed phones,” I said. “But you're welcome to borrow mine.” I slipped it out of my pocket and handed it to Piper, wincing as I remember my lock screen was still saved as a blurry picture of the Vegas Casinos I'd taken a week or so ago.

Piper raised an eyebrow at the photo, and had looked slightly amused by what I'd said, so I figured I had to be doing something right. She walked a few feet away from me and turned to face the commons to make the call.

I heard snatches of her conversation, it wasn't like I was trying to eavesdrop, but it was a pretty quiet spot. I heard the name McLean which triggered a memory somewhere in the back of my mind, but I couldn't put my finger on exactly what it was.

I took the chance to look around Camp in silence for a minute. The last time I'd been here it had been the burning heat of August – August 18th – and I'd still been covered in blood. It was drying into stiff, red-brown stains on my skin. I could remember panicking, thinking I'd never be able to get it off my skin.

Now, gazing down at the snowy hills, it all seemed a bit insane. What kind of safety was camp really? You could never leave the borders or you'd be in danger again – that sounded more like a prison to me. I'd felt safer on the road the last few months than I had in Camp Half-Blood for a long time. I exhaled. Maybe it was just me who was crazy?

Piper walked back to me and handed me the phone. I didn't say anything, but I could see her hands were shaking. “Your last name is McLean?" I asked, trying to work out where I knew it from, but only realising my ADHD had gotten the better of me after I'd blurted it out. "Sorry – none of my business. Just – um – sounded familiar.”

“Common name.”

“True." I agreed, but something told me Piper was, well not lying, but not telling me the full truth and that she knew exactly why it sounded familiar. "What does your dad do?" I was pretty sure I was in the right neighbourhood and Piper's blush only confirmed it.

“He’s got a degree in the arts,” Piper said automatically. “He’s a Cherokee artist.”

She was clever, I'd give her that. Not a lie, just not the whole truth. Maybe she was an Athena kid after all, even if that didn't sound quite right either.

“Oh.” I wasn't convinced, but I pocketed my phone. “You feeling okay? Want to keep going?”

Piper fastened her new dagger to her belt and smiled brightly. “Sure,” she said. “I want to see everything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aww! Piper's such a cutie, I love her too much lmao
> 
> I hope you're enjoying it, please lmk what you think.


	3. three | the queen appears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I felt like I was back in my living room, watching mom spew green smoke and shake me until my teeth clashed together."

**iii**

**clara**

**Decembe** **r, 2015**

I showed Piper around the different cabins, but she wasn’t claimed and said none of them seemed to strike hers as hers.

In a way, I think Leo had it easier with his godly parent – I didn’t know anything about his mortal parent – but Hephaestus kids were almost always mechanics or engineers. They were usually already involved in it and Hephaestus generally claimed his kids quickly. If Piper’s mother was a bitch she might not claim her for weeks or months or years, if she was a minor goddess (which frankly I doubted but that was neither here nor there) she might not judge Piper important enough to claim. It was harder to tell with goddesses as well. Athena was easy, all of her kids were blonde with grey eyes and Hera and Artemis were automatically out. But the others were harder to tell sometimes.

Cabin Eight was entirely silver and glowed like moonlight as we walked past it, even though the sun was still shining.

“Artemis?” Piper guessed.

“You know Greek mythology,” I noted, grinning at her, kind of relieved I wouldn't have to explain everything like Annabeth and I had to when we showed Percy around Camp the first time.

“I did some reading when my dad was working on a project last year.” She shrugged, playing it off like it wasn't important, but something about it stuck in my head.

After a few seconds it clicked. “I thought he did Cherokee art.”

“Oh, right. But — you know, he does other stuff too.”

_McLean! Greek mythology! Got it!_

“Tristan McLean, right?” Piper flushed red and made to apologise, but she nodded reluctantly first. “Cool.” I said simply. Honestly, I didn’t keep up with films that much, apart from a few that Tori convinced me to watch with her – mainly Marvel. And I always got a kick out of getting Luke to watch Disney films with me if we ever watched movies together. I was just glad I did actually know the name from somewhere and my brain wasn't tricking me.

I could remember Percy, Annabeth, Grover and I spending all night drinking red bull (not a good combination with ADHD) and marathoning the Harry Potter films once. At least, until Percy and I had turned it into a Just Dance competition (it got pretty intense – there were pulled muscles and many, many bruises from extravagant dancing). I was almost 100% sure Mrs Jackson had some very embarrassing videos of that, but if we ever asked her she just smiled. We must have only been eleven or twelve back then. _Gods_.

“Don’t worry about it, I won’t mention it to anyone if you don’t want me to.” I said to Piper, smiling as softly as I could – as I was capable of. I hoped I hadn’t imagined Piper relaxing slightly but I wasn’t banking on it.

“Anyway,” I continued, “Artemis is goddess of the moon, goddess of hunting. But no campers. Artemis’ an eternal maiden, so she doesn’t have any kids.”

“Oh.”

“Well, there are the Hunters of Artemis,” I amended. “They visit sometimes. They’re not the children of Artemis, but they’re her handmaidens — this band of immortal teenage girls who adventure together and hunt monsters and stuff.”

Piper perked up. “That sounds cool. They get to be immortal?”

“Unless they die in combat, or break their vows. Did I mention they have to swear off boys? No dating — ever. For eternity.”

“Oh,” Piper said. “Never mind.” I smiled at her, but I think we’d both been reminded of the Jason situation, which can’t have helped Piper’s mood – she’d already gone through a lot, I felt bad making her feel worse.

We passed Cabin Ten, Aphrodite’s cabin, which was decorated like a Barbie house with lace curtains, a pink door, and potted carnations in the windows. We walked by the doorway, and the smell of perfume almost made Piper gag. “Is that where supermodels go to die?” Her expression verged on adorable, so much so that it took real effort not to laugh.

“Aphrodite’s cabin." I explained, "Drew is the head counsellor.”

“Figures,” Piper grumbled.

“They’re not all bad,” I said. “The last head counsellor we had was... She was good.”

The thought of Silena killed my smile. If I’d tried to help her more before Tartarus she might still have been alive. Sometimes I wished our fates could be swapped – she deserved life a lot more than I did. I reckon she would have used it better too; I couldn’t exactly see the beautiful and gracious Silena Beauregard slumming around Las Vegas and playing the casinos because she knew she’d win anyway.

“What happened to her?” Piper asked softly.

Piper was so sweet, I hoped she didn’t end up like Silena.

My expression darkened. “She died in the last war, and... and whatever you hear, she died a hero.” I tried to explain more, but the words stuck in my throat – Piper must have noticed because she didn’t press me for more information.

“Mitchell’s nice too.” I said, mentioning my old friend. Mitchell Spencer, son of Aphrodite. There were some other children of Aphrodite I'd always gotten along well with - Natasha Lovelace and Harry Ainsworth.

We looked at the other cabins, but Piper just got more depressed. I could tell she was not looking forward to the campfire tonight.

“We started with the twelve Olympian gods,” I explained. “Male gods on the left, female on the right. Then last year, we added a whole bunch of new cabins for the other gods who didn’t have thrones on Olympus — Hecate, Hades, Iris—”

“What are the two big ones on the end?” Piper asked.

I frowned. “Zeus and Hera. King and queen of the gods.”

Piper headed that way, and I followed, my lips curving into a smirk. The Zeus cabin reminded me of a bank. It was white marble with big columns out front and polished bronze doors emblazoned with lightning bolts. Hera’s cabin was smaller but done in the same style, except the doors were carved with peacock feather designs, shimmering in different colours.

It wasn’t very homely, but I don’t think it was supposed to be.

Unlike the other cabins, which were all noisy and open and full of activity, the Zeus and Hera cabins looked closed and silent.

“Are they empty?” Piper asked.

I nodded. “Zeus went a long time without having any children. Well, mostly. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, the eldest brothers among the gods — they’re called the Big Three. Their kids are really powerful, really dangerous. For the last seventy years or so, they tried to avoid having demigod children.”

“Tried to avoid it?”

“Sometimes they messed up. I’ve got a friend, Thalia, who’s the daughter of Zeus. But she gave up camp life and became a Hunter of Artemis. Annabeth’s boyfriend, Percy, he’s a son of Poseidon. And a friend who shows up sometimes, Nico — son of Hades. Except for them, there are no demigod children of the Big Three gods. At least, not that we know of.” I tried not to sound too hateful when I mentioned Zeus, although they weren’t actually interacting with us so I didn’t think it mattered that much. It wasn't like he was going to execute me via lightning bolt while I was at the camp. At least, that's what I hoped.

“And Hera?” Piper looked at the peacock-decorated doors. The cabin clearly bothered her, though I wasn’t sure why.

“Goddess of marriage.” My tone was carefully controlled, Hera got under my skin but she held grudges even better than Zeus and there was already more than enough unnatural beings that wanted to kill me, I really couldn't afford to add anymore to the list. “She doesn’t have kids with anyone but Zeus. The cabin just honorary.”

“You don’t like her,” Piper noticed.

“I don't like any of them,” I explained, “But Hera’s a real pain in the-” Thunder rumbled, “She… she makes trouble for demigods on purpose, I mean, more trouble than we already have. She sent Annabeth the vision that told her to go to the Grand Canyon.”

“Telling you to come get us,” Piper said. “But she thought Percy would be there.”

“It’s probably better I don’t talk about it,” I said. “I’ve got nothing good to say about Hera right now. And I’ve already pissed off the Gods more than enough.”

“Not that it’s stopped you before!” Travis yelled at me as he ran passed Piper and I to get to the basketball court, my lips twisted into an exasperated smile.

“Shut it Travis!” I turned to Piper with an apologetic smile, “Sorry, that’s Travis, he’s my half-brother, he’s very good at winding people up – it’s best not to take what he and Connor say too seriously.” Piper laughed slightly as I smiled again.

Piper looked down the base of the doors. “So who goes in here?”

“No one. The cabin is just honorary, like I said.”

“Someone does.” Piper pointed at a footprint on the dusty threshold. She pushed the doors and they swung open easily. I sent her a grin and the two of us walked inside – it was nice to feel like I was working with someone instead of just against them. “We’re supposed to do dangerous stuff, right?” She grinned.

Hera’s cabin was not someplace someone would want to live. It was as cold as a freezer, with a circle of white columns around a central statue of the goddess, ten feet tall, seated on a throne in flowing golden robes. Before I’d come to Camp Half Blood I had always thought of Greek statues as white with blank eyes, but this one was brightly painted so it looked almost human—except huge. Hera’s piercing eyes seemed to follow Piper and me as we stepped into the cabin.

At the goddess’s feet, a fire burned in a bronze brazier. I wondered if Hestia tended it since the cabin was always empty. A stone hawk sat on Hera’s shoulder, and in her hand was a staff topped with a lotus flower. The goddess’s hair was done in black plaits. Her face smiled, but the eyes were cold and calculating, as if she were saying: _Mother knows best. Now don’t cross me or I will have to step on you._ Typical goddess.

There was nothing else in the cabin – no bed, no draws, no anything that could make it habitable. For a goddess of home and marriage, Hera’s place reminded me of a tomb.

Piper and I froze. We weren’t alone. Behind the statue, at a little altar in the back, stood a figure covered in a black shawl. Only her hands were visible, palms up. She seemed to be chanting something like a spell or a prayer.

“Rachel?” I gasped.

The girl turned. She dropped her shawl, revealing a mane of curly red hair and a freckled face that didn’t go with the seriousness of the cabin or the black shawl at all. As usual her blouse and tattered jeans covered with marker doodles. Despite the cold floor, she was barefoot.

“Hey!” She ran to give me a hug which threw me. “I’m so sorry! I came as fast as I could.”

“Don’t worry about that, I know you have a life outside of us. I just got here last night. Annabeth’s been searching for the past few days though.” I told her as she detangled herself from me. It felt good to have Rachel around, she always brought a sense of optimism with her, even if I wasn't too worried about Percy as it was. 

Pulling some of her wild hair backwards, Rachel looked at me hopefully. “Is there any news?”

I shook my head. “Nothing. It’s like he’s vanished off the face of the Earth. The sea creatures aren’t reporting any sightings of him either so that’s one theory out.”

Rachel swore quietly. “Have you spoken to Sally?” I shook my head again, feeling guilty now. I should have called her at least, after how nice she’d been to me. But then again…

“I’ll call her soon. What about you?” I answered, not completely sure whether I intended to keep my promise. It’s easy to see why not many people trust me – I don’t blame them. I barely trust me.

“I spoke her not long ago. Just before I got here actually. She’s not coping too well.” I nodded, frowning. I wasn’t expecting her to be doing well exactly, but the thought of such a nice woman suffering was unpleasant.

Then I remembered why I'd needed to talk to Rachel in the first place. "Have you heard anything about the-" I paused, catching sight of Piper, who looked pretty awkward. “Sorry,” I said, coming back to myself, “I’m being rude. Rachel, this is Piper, one of the half-bloods we rescued today. Piper, this is Rachel Elizabeth Dare, our oracle.”

“The friend who lives in the cave,” Piper guessed.

Rachel grinned. “That’s me.”

“So you’re an oracle?” Piper asked. “You can tell the future?”

“More like the future mugs me from time to time,” Rachel said. “I speak prophecies. The oracle’s spirit kind of hijacks me every once in a while and speaks important stuff that doesn’t make any sense to anybody. But yeah, the prophecies tell the future.”

“Oh.” Piper shifted from foot to foot. “That’s cool.”

Rachel laughed. “Don’t worry. Everybody finds it a little creepy. Even me. But usually I’m harmless.”

“You’re a demigod?”

“Nope,” Rachel said. “Just mortal.”

“Then what are you…” Piper waved her hand around the room.

Rachel’s smile faded. She glanced at me, then back at Piper. “Just a hunch. Something about this cabin and Percy’s disappearance. They’re connected somehow. I’ve learned to follow my hunches, especially the last month, since the gods went silent.”

“Went silent?” Piper asked.

Rachel frowned at me. “You haven’t told her yet?”

“I was getting to that,” I said defensively. “Piper, for the last month… well, it’s normal for the gods not to talk to their children, but someone can usually count on some messages now and then. Some of us can visit Olympus. Annabeth spent practically all semester at the Empire State Building.”

“Excuse me?”

“The entrance to Mount Olympus these days.”

“Oh,” Piper said. “Sure, why not?”

“Annabeth was redesigning Olympus after it was damaged in the Titan War,” Rachel explained. “She’s an amazing architect. You should see the salad bar—”

“Anyway,” I said, “starting about a month ago, Olympus fell silent. The entrance closed, and no one could get in. Nobody knows why. It’s like the gods have sealed themselves off. Even Annabeth’s mum won’t answer her prayers, and our camp director, Dionysus, was recalled.”

“Your camp director was the god of… wine?”

“Yeah, it’s a—”

“Long story,” Piper guessed. “Right. Go on.”

“That’s it, really,” I said. “Demigods still get claimed, but nothing else. No messages. No visits. No sign the gods are even listening. It’s like something has happened — something really bad. Then Percy disappeared.”

“And Jason showed up on our field trip,” Piper supplied. “With no memory.”

“Who’s Jason?” Rachel asked.

“My—” Piper visibly had to stop herself before she could say “boyfriend,” which looked like it hurt. “My friend. But Clara, you said Hera sent Annabeth a dream vision.”

“Right,” I said, sort of winging it at that point. “The first communication from a god in a month, and its Hera, the least helpful goddess, and she contacts Annabeth, her least favourite demigod.”

“I think you’re actually her least favourite demigod.” Rachel snarked.

I stuck her tongue out at Rachel playfully, it almost felt like old times for a second. “She tells Annabeth she’ll find out what happened to Percy if she goes to the Grand Canyon skywalk and looks for a guy with one shoe. But we find you guys, and the guy with one shoe is Jason. It doesn’t make sense.”

“Something bad is happening,” Rachel agreed. She looked at Piper intensely.

“Guys,” Piper said, looking suddenly panicked. “I—I need to—”

Before she could continue, Rachel’s body stiffened. Her eyes began to glow with a greenish light, and she grabbed Piper by the shoulders. For a second, I felt like I was back in my living room, watching Mom spew green smoke and shake me until my teeth clashed together.

Piper tried to back away. I pulled myself back to reality and tried to push Rachel of Piper before one of them got hurt, but Rachel’s hands were like steel clamps. Rachel clearly wasn't herself.

_Free me_ , she said. But it wasn’t Rachel’s voice. It sounded like an older woman, speaking from somewhere far away, down a long, echoing pipe. _Free me, Piper McLean, Clara Castellan, or the earth shall swallow us. It must be by the solstice_.

The room started spinning. I kept tried to separate Piper from Rachel, but it was no use. Green smoke enveloped them, and I was no longer sure if we were all awake or dreaming. The giant statue of the goddess seemed to rise from its throne. It leaned over Piper, its eyes boring into her. The statue’s mouth opened, its breath like horribly thick perfume. It spoke in the same echoing voice: _Our enemies stir. The fiery one is only the first. Bow to his will, and their king shall rise, dooming us all. FREE ME!_

Piper’s knees buckled and she passed out, hitting the marble floor hard.


	4. four | nothing sounds good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I was tired of playing games; be it the god's schemes, or fooling mortals into thinking I was old enough to travel alone, or around Camp, treading on egg shells so no one got scared."

**iv**

**clara**

**December, 2015**

Whatever conversation Chiron’s was having with Jason was disrupted when Rachel and I slammed the front door open, pulling an unconscious Piper into the Big House.

Up until that point, Rachel and I had carried Piper between ourselves but we were struggling. It wasn’t that Piper was heavy, but I still hadn’t built up much muscle mass and Rachel probably didn’t get much time to do weight training at a posh girl’s finishing school.

Eyes flashing, Jason rushed over. “What happened?” He helped us lay Piper down on the sofa gently, in a way that reminded me sharply of how Luke took care of me and Annabeth when we were little. “What’s wrong with her?”

I tried to catch my breath so I could answer but my throat felt like it had been ripped open – we’d run all the way and I was out of practise and the acrid air from the pit still felt like it was suffocating me after months of being out of there. “Hera’s cabin,” I gasped out, “Vision. Bad.”

Rachel looked up, her eyes were red and puffy – she’d been crying. Jason noticed too and moved as though to comfort her, but Rachel strangled confession that she thought she’d killed Piper stopped him dead. We both checked Piper again, fear curling in my chest, but Piper was obviously alive – she was out cold and very pale but I could see her chest moving in deep, steady breathes.

Jason nodded. I rushed down the hall to grab a medical kit and by the time I got back Piper was still breathing, but she wouldn’t wake up. I pressed my fingers to her wrist. Her pulse was steady, like there was no real sign that anything was wrong, but she just couldn't wake up. She seemed to be in some kind of coma. I honestly had no idea what was going on, but the sweet girl who was obviously under a lot of pressure didn’t deserve to suffer because of my incompetence.

“We’ve got to heal her,” Jason insisted. “There’s a way, right?” I nodded, even though I didn’t know the answer. Huh. Ethan always said I lied out of habit, guess there was some truth to that.

Seeing her so pale, barely breathing, I felt a surge of protectiveness. I didn’t know her very well, barely at all, but she was good. Goodness is so rare and it shouldn’t be used like that. Not by gods and not by mortals. I saw protectiveness mirrored on Jason’s face, he looked like a seriously pissed off body guard. I made a mental note not to get in his way; he didn’t seem violent or cruel, but he was built and tall. If he put his mind to it he could certainly do some damage. If what Piper said was anything to go by (and I was inclined to trust her) his skills with a sword weren’t lacking either.

Chiron put his hand on Piper’s forehead and grimaced. “Her mind is in a fragile state. Rachel, what happened?”

“I wish I knew,” she said. “As soon as I got to camp, I had a premonition about Hera’s cabin. I went inside. Clara and Piper came in while I was there. We talked, and then — I just blanked out. Clara said I spoke in a different voice.”

“A prophecy?” Chiron asked.

“No. The spirit of Delphi comes from within. I know how that feels. This was like long distance, a power trying to speak through me.”

“Chiron, what happened back there — I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve heard Rachel’s prophecy voice. This was different. She sounded like an older woman. She grabbed Piper’s shoulders and told her—” I said from where I was kneeling next to Piper.

“To free her from a prison?” Jason guessed.

My eyes snapped up to Jason. “How did you know that?”

He looked at me, hesitated for a second, but his guard seemed to drop. He looked like he was about to explain, but Chiron spoke before he got the chance. 

He made a three-fingered gesture over his heart, like a ward against evil. Which – _so helpful_. Really explained a lot. “Jason, tell them. Clara, the medicine bag, please.”

Chiron trickled drops from a medicine vial into Piper’s mouth while Jason explained what had happened when the room froze — the dark misty woman who had claimed to be Jason’s patron.

When he was done, no one spoke, which just seemed made him more anxious.

“So does this happen often?” he asked. “Supernatural phone calls from convicts demanding you bust them out of jail?”

“Your patron,” I asked, “Not your godly parent?”

“No, she said patron. She also said my dad had given her my life.” _Olympian parenting at its finest_.

I frowned. “I’ve never of heard anything like that before, but it sounds like something they would do. You said the storm spirit on the skywalk — he claimed to be working for some mistress who was giving him orders, right? Could it be this woman you saw, messing with your mind?”

“I don’t think so,” Jason said. “If she were my enemy, why would she be asking for my help? She’s imprisoned. She’s worried about some enemy getting more powerful. Something about a king rising from the earth on the solstice—”

I turned to Chiron. “Is it…” Jason watched my expression for as long as he could but it wasn't long before he looked away, I must have looked pathetic but the fear and misery that was coursing through my veins at the thought of _him_ was too much to keep under wraps properly. I didn’t care how stupid I must have looked – it couldn’t be him! “It can’t be _him_ again?” I asked Chiron, but it came out more like I was begging.

Chiron looked miserable. He held Piper’s wrist, checking her pulse. At last he said, “It is not Kronos. That threat is ended. But…”

“But what?” I asked around the lump in my throat.

Chiron closed the medicine bag. “Piper needs rest. We should discuss this later.”

“Or now,” Jason said. Nice. “Sir, Mr Chiron, you told me the greatest threat was coming. The last chapter. You can’t possibly mean something worse than an army of Titans, right?”

“Oh,” Rachel said in a small voice. “Oh, dear. The woman was Hera. Of course. Her cabin, her voice. She showed herself to Jason at the same moment.”

“Hera?” I snarled. It was just typical of her to take exactly what she needed from a demigod and leave behind nothing but misfortune. “She took you over? She did this to Piper?”

Jason nodded to me. “I think Rachel’s right,” Jason said. “The woman did seem like a goddess. And she wore this — this goatskin cloak. That’s a symbol of Juno, isn’t it?”

Chiron nodded reluctantly. “Of Juno, Hera’s Roman aspect, in her most warlike state. The goatskin cloak was a symbol of the Roman soldier.”

“So Hera is imprisoned?” Rachel asked. “Who could do that to the queen of the gods?”

I crossed my arms. “Well, whoever they are, maybe we should thank them. If they can shut up one of those bastar—"

“Clara,” Chiron warned, sending me a look that had become painfully familiar over all my years in camp. “She is still one of the Olympians. In many ways, she is the glue that holds the gods’ family together. If she truly has been imprisoned and is in danger of destruction, this could shake the foundations of the world. It could unravel the stability of Olympus, which is never great even in the best of times. And if Hera has asked Jason for help—”

“Fine,” I grumbled. “Well, we know Titans can capture a god, right? Atlas captured Artemis a few years ago. And in the old stories, the gods captured each other in traps all the time. But something worse than a Titan – worse than _that_ Titan…?”

Jason looked at the leopard’s head. Seymour was smacking his lips like the goddess had tasted much better than a Sausage. It reminded me slightly of the war councils we'd had where he'd be thrown Snausages at random points.

“Hera said she’d been trying to break through her prison bonds for a month.”

“Which is how long Olympus has been closed,” I replied. “So the gods must know something bad is going on.” I sneered. This was one of the reasons I’d been staying away from Camp. The desperate desire to leave got even stronger. I'd sworn I was done being a pawn last summer. “And they didn’t warn us. Sounds about typical for them.”

“But why use her energy to send me here?” Jason asked. “She wiped my memory, plopped me into the Wilderness School field trip, and sent Annabeth a dream vision to come pick me up. Why bother? Why not just send up an emergency flare to the other gods — let them know where she is so they bust her out?”

“The gods need heroes to do their will down here on earth,” Rachel said. “That’s right, isn’t it? Their fates are always intertwined with demigods.”

“Yeah, but Jason’s got a point. Why him? Why take his memory?” I turned to Jason again, “Unless you knew something before? Maybe you did have contact with some of the Gods wherever you were?” I said, hoping the entire time I was wrong. If Jason was from where I thought he was we might as well give up now, because there was no way this would end in anything other than bloodshed.

“And Piper’s involved somehow,” Rachel said. “Hera sent her the same message — _free me_. And this must have something to do with Percy’s disappearing.”

_Annabeth will be pleased,_ some part of me thought, _she always liked being able to make a plan._

I fixed my eyes on Chiron. “Why are you so quiet, Chiron? What is it we’re facing?”

The old centaur’s face looked like it had aged ten years in a matter of minutes. The lines around his eyes were deeply etched. “My dear, in this, I cannot help you. I am so sorry.”

Vicious anger surged through me – after everything that happened, he still wouldn't tell us what was coming, he still wouldn't trust us. But I made myself swallow it down and breathe out.

“I will be in my office.” His voice was heavy. “I need some time to think before dinner. Rachel, will you watch the girl? Call Argus to bring her to the infirmary, if you’d like. And Clara, you should speak with Jason. Tell him about — about the Greek and Roman gods.”

I felt my heart sink in my chest. I was right then.

“Chiron…” I started, not sure where I was going, but needing to talk to him. 

Chiron turned his wheelchair and rolled off down the hallway. I muttered something in Greek that wasn’t complimentary toward centaurs and stood up sharply, every limb tensed.

“I’m sorry,” Jason said. “I think my being here — I don’t know. I’ve messed things up coming to the camp, somehow. Chiron said he’d sworn an oath and couldn’t talk about it.”

That was new; he’d never mentioned any kind of oath like that to me. I knew that soon I’d have shelve a lot of my resentment and go talk to Annabeth about what she knew because between us I think we could have pieced together a lot more of the problem. But I've never claimed to be a good person and that seemed like it would be above my skill set.

“The last thing any of this is, is your fault.” I told Jason, registering what he’d said properly. “Unless you were talking crap about having amnesia.” I laughed. Now that Chiron wasn't in the room, some of the anger I'd felt cooled down. I was still annoyed with him, but the burning feeling inside my chest was gone at least.

To my surprise, Jason grinned back at me. “Definitely not faking the memory loss.”

I couldn’t explain why, but I trusted that. I trusted him. Jason’s promise sounded solid, like a light house on a rough sea. Earnest too, which would usually have grated on me, but he seemed like he really was motivated from good morals not… not like Ethan had been if he ever spoke to me like that.

“I trust you.” I told him honestly, feeling some weight lift off my chest as I told someone the unadulterated truth for once. The thing was, I was tired of playing games; be it the god's schemes, or fooling mortals into thinking I was old enough to travel alone, or around Camp, treading on egg shells so no one got scared. But almost more than that, Jason really did come off as the honest type. The type of person you couldn't lie to.

"And don’t take this the wrong way, but I hope we can you your memories back soon, then you home to whoever’s looking for you.” I didn’t want a war between the Romans and Greeks, and I didn’t want Jason to keep looking so lost either. Surely there had to be someone back home looking for him? If Percy had Annabeth tearing the US apart to find him, it seemed only fair that Jason had someone equally willing to move heaven and earth to bring him home.

“Thanks,” He said quietly. With a last look to Piper and Rachel, who was tending her diligently, we headed towards the Hypnos Cabin.

As we walked across the grass I could feel the awkwardness rolling off Jason in waves.

“When I said I remembered nothing,” Jason started quietly, and I felt compelled to look up and meet his blue eyes head on. They were like ice, so cold they were almost unreachable, but that wasn’t all. Because ice could be good too; skating in the winter and ice baths after sparring in the summer, aesthetic and brittle. “There is one thing. Kind of.” It looked like it was painful for him to admit and I thought that a better person than me would tell him not to worry.

“It’s…” He started, “It’s not about Gods or quests or Hera or any of that,” Jason cleared up first and I felt my shoulders relax slightly – I hadn’t even realised they were tense. “But you offered trust, so I figure that goes both ways.” He sounded strong, confident, just like a leader should. “It's not like I can remember it, but there's a… I know it's there; a place, like this, I think.” He lengthened his stride, obviously feeling uncomfortable which was fine for him but seeing as I was approximately half his size I found it difficult to keep up without jogging. And, no.

“Jason.” I said, putting a hand on his arm and pulling him to a stop. “I’ll keep it to myself until you say. I promise.” He nodded, starting to smile. It lightened his face, made the stoic expressions softer. "I'm sure it won't take long for this all to be cleared up."

“Thank you, Clara.” He said, still smiling in the small way that told me he was aware, in some way, of the gravity the situation could end up having on our lives. On both… on both camps, even if it wasn't clear yet.

“That’s enough feelings,” I snarked squeezing his arm lightly to prove I wasn’t serious and heading towards the cabin. “Let’s put you to sleep in Cabin Fifteen.” I said cheerfully, knowing exactly how it was going to sound.

“Hold on,” Jason said, sounding half amused and half concerned. “What’s in Cabin Fifteen?”

I glanced up at him again. He was almost smiling, but he still managed to look serious. “If we’re lucky,” I said as we arrived outside of the cabin which looked like an old-fashioned prairie house with mud walls and a rush roof. “A way to get your memories back.”

“You think this is my parent’s cabin?” Jason asked sceptically. I sent a pointed look over my shoulder, which just made him shrug.

“Nope,” I said. “This is the cabin for Hypnos, the god of sleep. I don’t think there’s many real options for who your godly parent will be.” I said.

“Then why – And who?—”

“You’ve forgotten everything,” I said. “If there’s any god who can help us figure out memory loss, it’s Hypnos. And the thing with the venti, for the second question, narrows it down.” Jason nodded and followed me into the cabin.

Inside, even though it was almost dinnertime, three kids were sound asleep under piles of covers. A warm fire crackled in the hearth. Above the mantel hung a tree branch, each twig dripping white liquid into a collection of tin bowls.

Soft violin music played from somewhere. The air smelled like fresh laundry. The cabin was so cosy and peaceful that my eyes started to feel heavy. A nap sounded like a great idea. I was exhausted anyway. I shook myself then giggled slightly, looking over at Jason, who kept blinking rapidly. I elbowed him in his waist – because that’s literally where my elbow was on him – “Snap out of it.”

Jason blinked. His knees had been starting to buckle.

“Cabin Fifteen does that to everyone,” I warned him lightly. “If you ask me, this place is even more dangerous than the Ares cabin. At least with Ares, you can learn where the land mines are.”

“Land mines?”

I nodded, not paying too much attention, “Travis and I stole some once.” I walked up to the nearest snoring kid and shook his shoulder. “Clovis! Wake up! Clovis!” I shook harder, then finally knocked on his forehead about six times.

“Wh-wh-what?” Clovis complained, sitting up and squinting. He yawned hugely, and both Jason and I yawned too.

“Stop that!” I snapped, through another yawn. “We need your help.”

“I was sleeping.”

I blinked at him. “You’re literally always sleeping.”

“Good night.” Rolling my eyes, I yanked his pillow off the bed before he could turn over and go back to sleep. “That’s not fair,” Clovis complained meekly. “Give it back.”

“First help,” I said instead, “Then sleep.”

Clovis sighed. His breath smelled like warm milk. “Fine. What?” I explained about Jason’s problem. Every once in a while I had to snap my fingers under Clovis’s nose to keep him awake and repeat the last thing I'd said. It wasn’t the most tedious explanation I’d ever given, but it was in the top five.

Clovis must have been really excited, because when I was done, he didn’t pass out. He actually stood and stretched, then blinked at Jason. “So you don’t remember anything, huh?”

Jason looked over at me for a split second, but looked away again before I could work out what he was thinking. I tried not to let that put me off – over the years at camp, and on the Princess Andromeda, the only thing that had kept me alive was being able to read people. But Jason? I had no idea.

“Just impressions,” Jason said. “Feelings, like…”

“Yes?” Clovis said.

“Like I know I shouldn’t be here. At this camp. I’m in danger.”

“Hmm. Close your eyes.”

Jason glanced at me again, this time I nodded reassuringly, although the effect was probably ruined by my usual frown.

I remembered being told I did myself no favours when I didn’t smile. Made my eyes look too big, Ethan had said once. I didn’t mind too much right then. Even if I was into Jason, which I wasn’t, I don’t think he’d be the type to say something like that to a girl’s face. He was honourable. I hadn’t known him long, but I knew that.

**

Clovis, Annabeth (who’d arrived after Rachel told her where Jason and I had gone after Piper passed out when she went back up to the big house) and I were knelt in front of the chair Jason was slumped in, waiting for him to come round.

“What happened?” Jason said as soon as he forced his eyes open. “When did you get – How long—”

“Just a few minutes,” I reassured him, holding up a calming hand. “But it was tense. You almost dissolved.”

“I got here a minute or so ago.” Annabeth explained, elbowing me when I mentioned the near dissolving. He still looked a bit freaked out, but stood up quickly.

“Usually,” Clovis said, “memories are lost for a good reason. They sink under the surface like dreams, and with a good sleep, I can bring them back. But this…” I wondered if that meant repressed memories. That concept had always freaked me out, like, you could know things so terrible that your mind had to block them out. I'd mentioned it to Tori a while ago and she'd told me about this girl in her school who'd apparently repressed memories so badly she'd ended up in a mental hospital.

“Lethe?” Annabeth asked.

“No,” Clovis said. “Not even Lethe.”

“Lethe?” Jason asked.

Clovis pointed to the tree branch dripping milky drops above the fireplace. “The River Lethe in the Underworld. It dissolves your memories, wipes your mind clean permanently. That’s the branch of a poplar tree from the Underworld, dipped into the Lethe. It’s the symbol of my father, Hypnos. Lethe is not a place you want to go swimming.”

Annabeth nodded. “Percy went there once. He told me it was powerful enough to wipe the mind of a Titan.”

“Bob the Titan.” I added, completely unnecessarily, remembering the story Percy had recounted to me. Jason glanced at me, looking slightly bemused, but more worried than anything.

“But that’s not my problem?”

“No,” Clovis agreed. “Your mind wasn’t wiped, and your memories weren’t buried. They’ve been stolen.”

The fire crackled. Drops of Lethe water plinked into the tin cups on the mantel. One of the other Hypnos campers muttered in his sleep — something about a duck.

“Stolen,” Jason said, obviously choosing to focus on the thing he could do something about which was fair. “How?”

“A god,” Clovis said. “Only a god would have that kind of power.”

“We know that,” said Jason. “It was Juno. But how did she do it, and why?”

Clovis scratched his neck. “Juno?”

“He means Hera,” Annabeth said. “For some reason, Jason likes the Roman names.” My body tightened, fear stabbing into me again. I could remember Luke rating about them in the last few months before he’d become Kronos’ host. He’d had to plan separate defence around the Throne at Mount Tam, but since I’d never heard about it again I’d let myself think that the Roman Legion was just a story intended to scare Luke into surrender. It was starting to dawn on me that that had been a _very_ bad mistake.

“Hmm,” Clovis said.

“What?” Jason asked. “Does that mean something?”

“Hmm,” Clovis said again, and this time I realized he was snoring.

“Clovis!” I snapped.

“What? What?” His eyes fluttered open. “We were talking about pillows, right? No, gods. I remember. Greek and Roman. Sure, could be important.”

“But they’re the same gods,” Annabeth said. “Just different names.”

“Not exactly,” Clovis said.

Jason sat forward, now very much awake. “What do you mean, not exactly?”

“Well…” Clovis yawned. “Some gods are only Roman. Like Janus, or Pompona. But even the major Greek gods—it’s not just their names that changed when they moved to Rome. Their appearances changed. Their attributes changed. They even had slightly different personalities.”

“But…” Annabeth faltered. “Okay, so maybe people saw them differently through the centuries. That doesn’t change who they are.”

“Sure it does.” Clovis began to nod off, and Jason snapped his fingers under his nose.

“It does,” I said, picking at a woolly blanket on one of the beds.

Annabeth looked at me oddly and it struck me suddenly just how little we knew each other anymore. “What do you mean, Clara?”

“Rome was a massive Empire, right? So the gods stayed Roman – the way they’re American at the moment,” Annabeth nodded, which was a relief, the cabin sapped me of energy and I didn’t want to have to explain everything. “They were more focused on discipline and stuff in Roman form. Duty, honour and service and all that. Eventually that must affect them irreversibly. Like split personality disorder, I guess.”

Clovis nodded along. My stomach sunk. I _was_ right then.

“Makes sense,” Jason said.

Annabeth shook her head, mystified. “But how do you know all this, all of you?”

“Oh, I spend a lot of time dreaming. I see the gods there all the time—always shifting forms. Dreams are fluid, you know. You can be in different places at once, always changing identities. It’s a lot like being a god, actually. Like recently, I dreamed I was watching a Michael Jackson concert, and then I was onstage with Michael Jackson, and we were singing this duet, and I could not remember the words for ‘The Girl Is Mine.’ Oh, man, it was so embarrassing, I—” Clovis explained.

“Clovis,” Annabeth interrupted. “Back to Rome?”

“Right, Rome,” Clovis said. “So we call the gods by their Greek names because that’s their original form. But saying their Roman aspects are exactly the same — that’s not true. In Rome, they became more warlike. They didn’t mingle with mortals as much. They were harsher, more powerful — the gods of an empire.”

“Like the dark side of the gods?” Annabeth asked. I shook my head, her habit of being black and white about everything was apparently back in full force. _Wonderful. That was going to be_ super _helpful_.

“Not exactly,” Clovis said. “They stood for discipline, honour, strength—”

“Good things, then,” Jason said. He must have felt the need to speak up for the Roman gods, although he didn’t look like he knew why. Unfortunately, I could guess. “I mean, discipline is important, right? That’s what made Rome last so long.”

Clovis gave him a curious look. “That’s true. But the Roman gods weren’t very friendly. For instance, my dad, Hypnos… he didn’t do much except sleep in Greek times. In Roman times, they called him Somnus. He liked killing people who didn’t stay alert at their jobs. If they nodded off at the wrong time, boom — they never woke up. He killed the helmsman of Aeneas when they were sailing from Troy.”

“Nice guy,” Annabeth said. “But I still don’t understand what it has to do with Jason.”

I did. I didn’t want to, but I did.

For a small, stupid minute I wished I was a little girl again, I could hide my face in Luke’s shirt and pretend the monsters weren’t real. Could crawl under a duvet back home and stay safe from the world. I closed my eyes for just a second, but forced them open again when I remembered where I was. This place wasn’t safe to sleep in, I might never wake up.

“Neither do I,” Clovis said. “But if Hera took your memory, only she can give it back. And if I had to meet the queen of the gods, I’d hope she was more in a Hera mood than a Juno mood. Can I go back to sleep now?”

Annabeth stared at the branch above the fire, dripping Lethe water into the cups. She looked so worried, I wondered if she was considering a drink to forget her troubles. Then she stood and tossed Clovis his pillow. “Thanks, Clovis. We’ll see you at dinner.” I stood up behind Annabeth, usually I’d be a drama queen about following her, but I felt dead on my feet. I couldn’t believe there were still more hours to go in the day, I was already about to drop.

“Can I get room service?” Clovis yawned and stumbled to his bunk. “I feel like… zzzz…” He collapsed with his butt in the air and his face buried in pillow.

“Won’t he suffocate?” Jason asked.

“He’ll be fine,” I said. “But I’m beginning to think that we’re are in serious trouble.”

“We’ll be alright,” Jason said confidently which surprised me. It didn’t sound like a throwaway comment. It sound like he really believed in me. It’d been so long since I felt like that it nearly knocked me only my ass. “And, dinner can’t hurt, right?” He shrugged, attempting a smile, even though he must have been wrung out by the mess of a day.

“Not unless it's poisoned.” I grinned as we walked side by side toward the Pavilion.


	5. five | california nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He used to tell me that if you walked far enough toward the sunset, you’d come to Ghost Country, where you could talk to the dead. He said a long time ago, you could bring the dead back; but then mankind messed up."

**v**

**piper**

**December, 2015**

_I dreamed about my last day with my dad._

_We were on the beach near Big Sur, taking a break from surfing. The morning had been so perfect, I knew something had to go wrong soon, something always did — a rabid horde of paparazzi, or maybe a great white shark attack. I think I’d prefer the second, at least we’d still be spending time together if that happened. No way could my luck would hold._

_But so far, we’d had excellent waves, an overcast sky, and a mile of oceanfront completely to ourselves. Dad had found this out-of-the-way spot, rented a beachfront villa and the properties on either side, and somehow managed to keep it secret. If we stayed there too long, I knew the photographers would find him. They always did._

_But this was perfect._

_“Nice job out there, Pipes.” He gave me the smile he was famous for: perfect teeth, dimpled chin, a twinkle in his dark eyes that always made grown women scream and ask him to sign their bodies in permanent marker. (_ Seriously _, I thought,_ get a life _.) His close-cropped black hair gleamed with salt water. “You’re getting better at hanging ten.”_

_I flushed with pride, though I suspected Dad was just being nice. I still spent most of my time wiping out. It took special talent to run over yourself with a surfboard. My dad was the natural surfer — which made no sense since he’d been raised a poor kid in Oklahoma, hundreds of miles from the ocean — but he was amazing on the curls. I would’ve given up surfing a long time ago except it let me spend time with him. There weren’t many ways I could do that anymore._

_Don’t get me wrong, I knew he was busy – I understood that. He was doing really well too, and he obviously enjoyed his job, but sometimes I wished we could go back to before he got famous for a little while. We used to spend more time together, even if it was just walking around the neighbourhood in the evening._

_“Sandwich?” Dad dug into the picnic basket his chef, Arno, had made. “Let’s see: turkey pesto, crab cake wasabi — ah, a Piper special. Peanut butter and jelly.”_

_I took the sandwich, though my stomach was too upset to eat. I always asked for PB &J. I was vegetarian, for one thing. I had been ever since we’d driven past that slaughterhouse in Chino and the smell had made my insides want to come outside. But it was more than that. PB&J was simple food, like every other kid would have for lunch. Sometimes I tried to pretend that dad had actually made it for me, not a personal chef from France who liked to wrap the sandwich in gold leaf paper with a light-up sparkler instead of a toothpick. It never quite worked, but I suppose it was worth a shot?_

_Couldn’t anything be simple? That’s why I turned down the fancy clothes Dad always offered, the designer shoes, the trips to the salon. I cut her own hair with a pair of plastic Garfield safety scissors, deliberately making it uneven. I preferred to wear beat-up running shoes, jeans, a T-shirt, and my old Polar Tec jacket from the time we went snowboarding._

_I hated the snobby private schools Dad thought were good for me. I kept getting myself kicked out. He kept finding more schools. I just wanted to spend time with him! Why couldn't he see that?_

_Yesterday, I’d done the dumbest thing yet — driving that “borrowed” BMW out of the dealership. I had to pull a bigger stunt each time, because it took more and more to get Dad’s attention._

_Now I regretted it. Dad didn’t know yet._

_I’d meant to tell him that morning. Then he’d surprised me with this trip, and I couldn’t ruin it. It was the first time we’d had a day together in what — six months?_

_“What’s wrong?” He passed me a soda._

_“Dad, there’s something—”_

_“Hold on, Pipes. That’s a serious face. Ready for Any Three Questions?”_

_We’d been playing that game for years — Dad’s way of staying connected in the shortest possible amount of time. We could ask each other any three questions. Nothing off-limits, and we had to answer honestly. The rest of the time, Dad promised to stay out of my business — which was easy, since he was never around._

_I knew most kids would find a Q &A like this with their parents totally mortifying. But I looked forward to it. It was like surfing — not easy, but a way to feel like I actually had a father._

_“First question,” I said. “Mom.”_

_No surprise. That was always one of my topics._

_Dad shrugged with resignation. “What do you want to know, Piper? I’ve already told you — she disappeared. I don’t know why, or where she went. After you were born, she simply left. I never heard from her again.”_

_“Do you think she’s still alive?”_

_It wasn’t a real question. Dad was allowed to say he didn’t know. But I wanted to hear how he’d answer._

_He stared at the waves._

_“Your Grandpa Tom,” he said at last, “he used to tell me that if you walked far enough toward the sunset, you’d come to Ghost Country, where you could talk to the dead. He said a long time ago, you could bring the dead back; but then mankind messed up. Well, it’s a long story.”_

_“Like the Land of the Dead for the Greeks,” I remembered. “It was in the west, too. And Orpheus — he tried to bring his wife back.”_

_Dad nodded. A year before, he’d had his biggest role as an Ancient Greek king. I had helped him research the myths – all those old stories about people getting turned to stone and boiled in lakes of lava. We’d had a fun time reading together, and we’d gotten a bit closer because of it. For a while I’d felt closer to my dad, but like everything, it didn’t last._

_“Lot of similarities between Greek and Cherokee,” Dad agreed. “Wonder what your grandpa would think if he saw us now, sitting at the end of the western land. He’d probably think we’re ghosts.”_

_“So you’re saying you believe those stories? You think Mom is dead?”_

_His eyes watered, and I saw the sadness behind them. I figured that’s why women were so attracted to him. On the surface, he seemed confident and everything, but his eyes held so much sadness. Women wanted to find out why. They wanted to comfort him, and they never could. Dad told me it was a Cherokee thing — we all had that darkness inside us from generations of pain and suffering. But I thought it was more than that._

_“I don’t believe the stories,” he said. “They’re fun to tell, but if I really believed in Ghost Country, or animal spirits, or Greek gods … I don’t think I could sleep at night. I’d always be looking for somebody to blame.”_

_Somebody to blame for Grandpa Tom dying of lung cancer, I thought, before Dad got famous and had the money to help. For Mom — the only woman he’d ever loved — abandoning him without even a good-bye note, leaving him with a new born girl he wasn’t ready to care for. For his being so successful, and yet still not happy._

_“I don’t know if she’s alive,” he said. “But I do think she might as well be in Ghost Country, Piper. There’s no getting her back. If I believed otherwise… I don’t think I could stand that, either.”_

_Behind us, a car door opened. I turned, and my heart sank. Jane was marching toward us in her business suit, wobbling over the sand in her high heels, her PDA in hand. The look on her face was partly annoyed, partly triumphant, and I knew she’d been in touch with the police._

Please fall down _, I prayed._ If there’s any animal spirit or Greek god that can help, make Jane take a header. I’m not asking for permanent damage, just knock her out for the rest of the day, please?

_But Jane kept advancing._

_“Dad,” I said quickly, the fear of a child being caught doing something wrong again forcing its way up my throat. “Something happened yesterday…”_

_But he’d seen Jane, too. He was already reconstructing his business face. Jane wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t serious. A studio head called — a project fell through — or I’d had messed up again._

_“We’ll get back to that, Pipes,” he promised. “I’d better see what Jane wants. You know how she is.”_

_Yes — I knew. Dad trudged across the sand to meet her. I couldn’t hear them talking, but I didn’t need to. I was good at reading faces. Jane gave him the facts about the stolen car, occasionally pointing at me like I was a disgusting pet that had pissed on the carpet. That’s probably how she thought of me._

_Dad’s energy and enthusiasm drained away. He gestured for Jane to wait. Then he walked back to me. I couldn’t stand that look in his eyes — like I’d betrayed his trust._

_“You told me you would try, Piper,” he said._

_“Dad, I hate that school. I can’t do it. I wanted to tell you about the BMW, but—”_

_“They’ve expelled you,” he said. “A car, Piper? You’re seventeen next year. I would buy you any car you want. How could you—”_

_“You mean Jane would buy me a car?” I demanded. I couldn’t help it. The anger just welled up and spilled out of me. “Dad, just listen for once. Don’t make me wait for you to ask your stupid three questions. I want to go to regular school. I want you to take me to parents’ night, not Jane. Or home school me! I learned so much when we read about Greece together. We could do that all the time! We could—”_

_“Don’t make this about me,” Dad said. “I do the best I can, Piper. We’ve had this conversation.”_

No _, I thought._ You’ve cut off this conversation. For years _._

_Dad sighed. “Jane’s talked to the police, brokered a deal. The dealership won’t press charges, but you have to agree to go to a boarding school in Nevada. They specialize in problems… in kids with tough issues.”_

_“That’s what I am.” My voice trembled and I hated it. “A problem.”_

_“Piper… you said you’d try. You let me down. I don’t know what else to do.”_

_“Do anything,” I begged. “But do it yourself! Don’t let Jane handle it for you. You can’t just send me away.”_

_Dad looked down at the picnic basket. His sandwich sat uneaten on a piece of gold leaf paper. We’d planned for a whole afternoon in the surf. Now that was ruined._

_I couldn’t believe he’d really give in to Jane’s wishes. Not this time. Not on something as huge as boarding school._

_“Go see her,” Dad said. “She’s got the details.”_

_“Dad …”_

_He looked away, gazing at the ocean like he could see all the way to Ghost Country. I promised myself I wouldn’t cry. I headed up the beach toward Jane, who smiled coldly and held up a plane ticket. As usual, she’d already arranged everything. I was just another problem of the day that Jane could now check off her list._

_My dream changed._

_I stood on a mountaintop at night, city lights glimmering below. In front of me, a bonfire blazed. Purplish flames seemed to cast more shadows than light, but the heat was so intense my clothes steamed._

_“This is your second warning,” a voice rumbled, so powerful it shook the earth. I had heard that voice before in my dreams. I’d tried to convince myself it wasn’t as scary as I remembered, but it was worse._

_Behind the bonfire, a huge face loomed out of the darkness. It seemed to float above the flames, but I knew it must be connected to an enormous body. The crude features might’ve been chiselled out of rock. The face hardly seemed alive except for its piercing white eyes, like raw diamonds, and its horrible frame of dreadlocks, braided with human bones. It smiled, and I shivered._

_“You’ll do what you’re told,” the giant said. “You’ll go on the quest. Do our bidding, and you may walk away alive. Otherwise—”_

_He gestured to one side of the fire. Dad was hanging unconscious, tied to a stake._

_I tried to cry out, or just cry. I wanted to call to Dad, and demand the giant let him go, but my voice wouldn’t work._

_“I’ll be watching,” the giant said. “Serve me, and you both live. You have the word of Enceladus. Fail me … well, I’ve slept for millennia, young demigod. I am very hungry. Fail, and I’ll eat well.”_

_The giant roared with laughter. The earth trembled. A crevice opened at my feet, and I tumbled into darkness._

I woke feeling like I’d been trampled by an Irish step-dancing troupe. My chest hurt, and I could barely breathe. I reached down and closed my hand around the hilt of the dagger Clara had given me — Katoptris, Helen of Troy’s weapon.

So Camp Half-Blood hadn’t been a dream.

_Alright, then._

“How are you feeling?” someone asked.

I tried to focus. I was lying in a bed with a white curtain on one side, like in a nurse’s office. That redheaded girl, Rachel Dare, sat next to me. I looked around for Clara but couldn’t see her, she must have left – part of me hoped she’d gotten some sleep because she looked beyond tired, but the selfish part was hoping she’d walk right back in. She was, Leo notwithstanding, the closest thing to a friend I had here. On the wall was a poster of a cartoon satyr who looked disturbingly like Coach Hedge with a thermometer sticking out of his mouth. The caption read: Don’t let sickness get your goat!

“Where—” My voice died when I saw the guy at the door.

He looked like a typical California surfer dude — buff and tan, blond hair, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. But he had hundreds of blue eyes all over his body — along his arms, down his legs, and all over his face. Even his feet had eyes, peering up at me from between the straps of his sandals.

“That’s Argus,” Rachel said, “our head of security. He’s just keeping an eye on things – so to speak.”

Argus nodded. The eye on his chin winked.

“Where—?” I tried again, but I felt like I was talking through a mouthful of cotton.

“You’re in the Big House,” Rachel said. “Camp offices. We brought you here when you collapsed.”

“You grabbed me,” I remembered. “Hera’s voice—”

“I’m so sorry about that,” Rachel said. “Believe me, it was not my idea to get possessed. Chiron healed you with some nectar—”

“Nectar?”

“The drink of the gods. In small amounts, it heals demigods, if it doesn’t — ah — burn you to ashes.”

“Oh. Fun.”

Rachel sat forward. “Do you remember your vision?”

I had a moment of dread, thinking she meant the dream about the giant. Then I realized Rachel was talking about what happened in Hera’s cabin.

“Something’s wrong with the goddess,” I said. “She told me to free her, like she’s trapped. She mentioned the earth swallowing us, and a fiery one, and something about the solstice.”

In the corner, Argus made a rumbling sound in his chest. His eyes all fluttered at once.

“Hera created Argus,” Rachel explained. “He’s actually very sensitive when it comes to her safety. We’re trying to keep him from crying, because last time that happened… well, it caused quite a flood.”

Argus sniffled. He grabbed a fistful of Kleenex from the bedside table and started dabbing eyes all over his body.

“So…” I tried not to stare as Argus wiped the tears from his elbows, but kinda failed. “What’s happened to Hera?”

“We’re not sure,” Rachel said. “Clara and Jason were here for you, by the way. They didn’t want to leave you, but Clara had an idea — something that might restore his memories.”

“That’s – that’s great.”

Jason had been here for me? I wished I’d been conscious for that. But if he got his memories back, would that be a good thing? I was still holding out hope that we really did know each other. I didn’t want our relationship to be just a trick of the Mist. He was a great guy, and even if we weren’t _together_ I didn’t want to lose him.

_Get over yourself_ , I thought. If I was going to save Dad, it didn’t matter whether Jason liked me or not. He would hate me eventually. Everyone here would.

I looked down at the ceremonial dagger strapped to my side. Clara had said it was a sign of power and status, but not normally used in battle. All show and no substance. A fake, just like me. And its name was Katoptris, looking glass. I didn’t dare unsheathe it again, because I couldn’t bear to see my own reflection.

“Don’t worry.” Rachel squeezed her arm. “Jason seems like a good guy. He had a vision too, a lot like yours. Whatever’s happening with Hera — I think you two are meant to work together.”

Rachel smiled like this was good news, but my spirits plunged even further. I’d thought that this quest — whatever it was — would involve nameless people. Now Rachel was basically telling mw: _Good news! Not only is your dad being held ransom by a cannibal giant, you also get to betray the guy you like! How awesome is that?_

“Hey,” Rachel said. “No need to cry. You’ll figure it out.”

I wiped my eyes, trying to get control of myself. This wasn’t like me. I was supposed to be tough — a hardened car thief, the scourge of L.A. private schools. But I was crying like a baby. “How can you know what I’m facing?”

Rachel shrugged. “I know it’s a hard choice, and your options aren’t great. Like I said, I get hunches sometimes. But you’re going to be claimed at the campfire. I’m almost sure. When you know who your godly parent is, things might be clearer.”

Clearer, I thought miserably. Not necessarily better.

I sat up in bed. My head ached like someone had driven a spike between my eyes. There’s no getting your mother back, Dad had told me. But apparently, tonight, my mom might claim me. For the first time, I wasn’t sure I wanted that.

“I hope its Athena.” I said, without meaning to. I looked up, afraid Rachel might make fun of me, but the oracle just smiled.

“Piper, I don’t blame you. Truthfully? I think Annabeth would like that too. You guys are a lot alike.”

The comparison made me feel even guiltier. “Another hunch? You don’t know anything about me.”

“You’d be surprised.”

“You’re just saying that because you’re an oracle, aren’t you? You’re supposed to sound all mysterious.”

Rachel laughed. “Don’t be giving away my secrets, Piper. And don’t worry. Things will work out — just maybe not the way you plan.”

“That’s not making me feel better.”

Somewhere in the distance, a conch horn blew. Argus grumbled and opened the door.

“Dinner?” I guessed.

“You slept through it,” Rachel said. “Time for the campfire. Let’s go find out who you are.”


	6. six | the king's son

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Child of lightning, beware the earth,
> 
> The giants’ revenge the eight shall birth,
> 
> The thief’s wings become the fight,
> 
> And a candle to burn them through the night,
> 
> The forge and dove shall break the cage,
> 
> And death unleash through Hera’s rage.”

**vi**

**clara**

**December, 2015**

Jason sat next to me during dinner, even though I was fairly sure I knew who his godly parent was and dead sure Chiron did. He was quiet, but I couldn’t really blame him, and he was always nice to everyone, even my youngest half-sister Kara when she knocked her drink onto him reaching for the mayonnaise.

Travis and Conner spent most of dinner quizzing me over where I’d been and what I’d done, it was a little intrusive at times; no I didn’t pimp myself out as a stripper (much - it was one time!), yes a drunk bloke shoved a twenty down my bra and yes I did pickpocket the rest of his cash for that one – Jason, Travis and Conner had a good laugh over that.

Apart from that, Jason and I had spent most of dinner talking quietly, sometimes about Wilderness High School and his turning up on the bus, about Camp and what it was like and he asked about some of the places I'd travelled to. I recounted the time an elderly lady in Greenland with a few too many screws loose had been convinced I was her granddaughter and kept trying to get me to babysit her cats. Maybe the strangest thing was that I'd eventually caved in and agreed – only to find she had somehow owned a chimera instead of a cat.

Then dinner was over and the sing-along by the camp fire. The amphitheatre steps were carved into the side of a hill, facing a stone-lined fire pit. Fifty or sixty of us filled the rows, clustered into groups under our Cabin Banners.

Jason sat with me near the front of the Hermes Cabin. Leo was nearby, sitting with the rest of the Hephaestus kids. Standing in front of the fire, half a dozen campers, mostly Apollo, with guitars and strange, old-fashioned lyres were jumping around, leading a song about pieces of armour, something about how our grandma got dressed for war. Everybody was singing with them and making gestures for the pieces of armour and joking around. For a few minutes it felt like returning to old times again. Luke, Annabeth and I would sit near each other and Luke would get us to do all of the stupid dance moves with him, I smiled at the thought. As the energy level got higher, the flames did too, turning from red to orange to gold.

Finally the song ended with a lot of rowdy applause. Chiron trotted up, smiling. “Very nice! And a special welcome to our new arrivals. I am Chiron, camp activities director, and I’m happy you have all arrived here alive and with most of your limbs attached. In a moment, I promise we’ll get to the s’mores, but first—”

“What about capture the flag?” Clarisse yelled. Grumbling broke out among some kids in armour, sitting under a red banner with the emblem of a boar’s head.

“Yes,” Chiron said. “I know the Ares cabin is anxious to return to the woods for our regular games.”

“And kill people!” one of them shouted. I rolled my eyes and shared a look with Conner.

“However,” Chiron said, “until the dragon is brought under control, that won’t be possible. Cabin Nine, anything to report on that?”

He turned to Cabin Nine. I saw Leo winked at Piper and shot her with a finger gun. Nyssa stood up, looking overtired and uncomfortable. I couldn’t blame her. “We’re working on it.”

More grumbling.

“How, Nyssa?” another Ares kid demanded.

“Really hard,” Nyssa said.

Nyssa sat down to a lot of yelling and complaining, which caused the fire to sputter chaotically. Chiron stamped his hoof against the fire pit stones — bang, bang, bang — and the campers fell silent.

“We will have to be patient,” Chiron said. “In the meantime, we have more pressing matters to discuss.”

“Percy?” someone asked. I frowned, it’d all been going so well I’d almost forgotten he was missing. The fire dimmed even further, but I didn’t need the mood flames to sense the crowd’s anxiety. Even Jason, who'd been here for an afternoon, shifted like he could sense the general depression in the air.

Chiron gestured to Annabeth. She took a deep breath and stood.

“I didn’t find Percy,” she announced. Her voice caught a little when she said his name and I couldn’t stop myself from rolling my eyes, how long had they been dating – it couldn’t have been more than four months – she was being a bit over dramatic. “He wasn’t at the Grand Canyon like I thought. But we’re not giving up. We’ve got teams everywhere. Grover, Tyson, Nico, the Hunters of Artemis — everyone’s out looking. We will find him. Chiron’s talking about something different. A new quest.”

“It’s the Great Prophecy, isn’t it?” Drew called out.

We all turned. The voice had come from the Aphrodite Cabin, which was strange, they usually sat chatting themselves and not paying much attention. It’d been different with Silena, they’d paid more attention; people like Mitchell and Lacy would sit near the front, usually close enough to another Cabin to chat to them in the lulls between songs. Mitchell and I used to sit together a lot but… Well, I didn’t blame him. I’d ditch me too if I had a choice.

“Drew?” Annabeth asked in surprise. “What do you mean?”

“Well, come on.” Drew spread her hands like the truth was obvious. “Olympus is closed. Percy’s disappeared. Hera sends you a vision and you come back with three new demigods in one day. I mean, something weird is going on. The Great Prophecy has started, right?”

We all turned to look at Rachel.

“Well?” Drew called down. “You’re the oracle. Has it started or not?”

Rachel’s eyes looked scary in the firelight. From beside her, Piper looked worried, like she was afraid Rachel might clench up and start channelling a freaky peacock goddess again, which was pretty reasonable.

“Yes,” she said. “The Great Prophecy has begun.”

Pandemonium broke out.

Out of the edge of my vision I saw Piper catch Jason’s eye. He mouthed, _You all right?_ She nodded and managed a smile, but then looked away. I winced, it must have been painful to see someone she thought she knew, and obviously liked a lot, not know her.

When the talking finally subsided, Rachel took another step toward the audience, and fifty-plus demigods leaned away from her, as if one skinny redheaded mortal was more intimidating than all of them put together. I grinned to myself, unless she had a blue plastic hairbrush, Rachel was harmless.

“For those of you who have not heard it,” Rachel said, “the Great Prophecy was my first prediction. It arrived in August. It goes like this:

“ _Eight half-bloods shall answer the call._

_To storm or fire the world must fall._

_Traitor sacrificed to spare another,_

_Death preordained by Cassandra's curse_ -"

Jason shot to his feet. His eyes looked wild, like he’d just been tasered. I jumped about a foot, heart racing.

Even Rachel seemed caught off guard. “J-Jason?” she said. “What’s—”

“ _Ut cum spiritu postrema sacramentum dejuremus_ ,” he chanted. “ _Et hostes ornamenta addent ad ianuam necem_.”

An uneasy silence settled across camp.

That was it then. He spoke Latin more fluently than Greek, he knew the Roman gods, the SPQR brand. He was a Roman Demigod. And Camp Jupiter was real.

We were so screwed.

“You just… finished the prophecy,” Rachel stammered. “—An oath to keep with a final breath/ And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death. How did you—”

“I know those lines.” Jason winced and put his hands to his temples. “I don’t know how, but I know that prophecy.”

“In Latin, no less,” Drew called out. “Handsome and smart.”

The more irrational part of me wanted to turn round and hit Drew. _How did they not realise how serious this was?_

The campfire was burning a chaotic, nervous shade of green.

Jason sat down, looking embarrassed, but I swallowed my hysteria put a hand on his arm. He looked over at me and I attempted a grin, “Nothing to worry about, everyone here’s a bit of a freak.” He laughed and I hoped it had helped a little.

Something Ethan had told me once suddenly struck me, that I never looked before I fell, but I tried to pay it no mind, not completely sure about why it had occurred to me. 

Rachel still looked a little shaken. She glanced back at Chiron for guidance, but he stood unhelpfully grim and silent, as if he were watching a play he couldn’t interrupt — a tragedy that ended with a lot of people dead onstage. I’d seen that look before. It didn’t spell anything good.

“Well,” Rachel said, trying to regain her composure. “So, yeah, that’s the Great Prophecy. We hoped it might not happen for years, but I fear it’s starting now. I can’t give you proof. It’s just a feeling. And like Drew said, some weird stuff is happening. The eight demigods, whoever they are, have not been gathered yet. I get the feeling some are here tonight. Some are not here.”

The campers began to stir and mutter, looking at each other nervously, until a drowsy voice in the crowd called out, “I’m here! Oh… were you calling roll?”

“Go back to sleep, Clovis,” Conner yelled and a lot of people laughed.

“Anyway,” Rachel continued, “we don’t know what the Great Prophecy means. We don’t know what challenge the demigods will face, but since the first Great Prophecy predicted the Titan War, we can guess the second Great Prophecy will predict something at least that bad.” Rachel saying it wasn’t the first time it had clicked, but it was the first time it felt real. My shoulders slumped and I wanted to find a nice quiet place to cry.

“Or worse,” Chiron murmured.

Maybe he didn’t mean us to overhear, but we did. The campfire immediately turned dark purple. I laughed bitterly. Another Roman symbol.

“What we do know,” Rachel said, “is that the first phase has begun. A major problem has arisen, and we need a quest to solve it. Hera, the queen of the gods, has been taken.”

Shocked silence. Then everyone started talking at once. Jason glanced at me, looking like he was about to say something, but seeming to think the better of it.

Chiron pounded his hoof again, but Rachel still had to wait before she could get back everyone’s attention.

As she told them about the incident on the Grand Canyon skywalk — how Gleeson Hedge had sacrificed himself when the storm spirits attacked, and the spirits had warned it was only the beginning. They apparently served some great mistress who would destroy all demigods – Travis leaned down to whisper in my ear. “So this all sounds terrible.”

“No shit, Sherlock.” I murmured back, and he slapped my arm lightly.

He levelled a glance at me and I had to look down – back down again. Seemed like it was all I could do now. “I know you, sis, you know something.”

“I’m wrong.” I told him, trying to convince myself even though I knew I wasn’t and I couldn’t. “I have to be wrong.”

Then Rachel told us about Piper passing out in Hera’s cabin while Drew pantomimed a faint and her half-siblings and her friends giggled. Finally Rachel told everyone about Jason’s vision in the living room of the Big House. The message Hera had delivered there was so similar to Piper’s that a shiver went down my spine.

“Jason,” Rachel said. “Um… do you remember your last name?”

He looked self-conscious, but he shook his head.

“We’ll just call you Jason, then,” Rachel said. “It’s clear Hera herself has issued you a quest.”

Rachel paused, as if giving Jason a chance to protest his destiny. Everyone’s eyes were on him; there was so much pressure, I knew I would’ve buckled in his position. Yet he looked brave and determined. He set his jaw and nodded. “I agree.”

“You must save Hera to prevent a great evil,” Rachel continued. “Some sort of king from rising. For reasons we don’t yet understand, it must happen by the winter solstice, only four days from now.”

“That’s the council day of the gods,” Annabeth said. “If the gods don’t already know Hera’s gone, they will definitely notice her absence by then. They’ll probably break out fighting, accusing each other of taking her. That’s what they usually do.”

Was that bitterness, Anna? I thought, amused. Luke would've been proud.

“The winter solstice,” Chiron spoke up, “is also the time of greatest darkness. The gods gather that day, as mortals always have, because there is strength in numbers. The solstice is a day when evil magic is strong. Ancient magic, older than the gods. It is a day when things… stir.”

The way he said it, stirring sounded absolutely sinister — like it should be a first-degree felony, not something you did to cookie dough. I wanted to laugh, but panic infected every cell in my body.

“Okay,” I spoke up, glaring at the centaur. “Thank you, Captain Sunshine. Whatever’s going on, I agree with Rachel. Jason has been chosen to lead this quest, so—” As soon as I started talking the campfire changed colours and people started muttering.

“Why hasn’t he been claimed?” somebody yelled from the Ares cabin. “If he’s so important—”

“He has been claimed,” Chiron announced. “Long ago. Jason, give them a demonstration.”

At first, Jason didn’t seem to understand. He stepped forward nervously. He glanced at Piper, and she nodded encouragingly. She mimicked flipping a coin. Clever girl.

Jason reached into his pocket. His coin flashed in the air, and when he caught it in his hand, he was holding a lance—a rod of gold about seven feet long, with a spear tip at one end.

The other demigods gasped. Rachel and I stepped back to avoid the point, which looked sharp as an ice pick.

“Wasn’t that…” Annabeth hesitated. “I thought you had a sword.”

“It has different functions then. Use the logic you’re so proud of.” I snapped viciously, still panicking. Annabeth threw me a glare and the tension in the air was practically tangible.

“Um, it came up tails, I think,” Jason said, sending me a ‘chill’ look. “Same coin, long-range weapon form.”

“Dude, I want one!” yelled somebody from Ares cabin.

“Better than Clarisse’s electric spear, Lamer!” one of his brothers agreed.

“Electric,” Jason murmured, like that was a good idea. “Back away.”

Annabeth and Rachel got the message, I didn’t bother to move, but said “Maia” and rose a few feet off the floor in my flying shoes. Jason raised his javelin, and thunder broke open the sky. Lightning arced down through the golden spear point and hit the campfire with the force of an artillery shell.

I couldn’t stop myself smiling, did demigod powers get cooler?

When the smoke cleared, and the ringing in everyone’s ears subsided, the entire camp sat frozen in shock, half blind, covered in ashes, staring at the place where the fire had been. Cinders rained down everywhere. A burning log had impaled itself a few inches from Clovis, who hadn’t even stirred.

I repeat: cool.

Jason lowered his lance. “Um… sorry.”

Chiron brushed some burning coals out of his beard. He grimaced as if his worst fears had been confirmed which shocked me back to reality. “A little overkill, perhaps, but you’ve made your point. And I believe we know who your father is.”

I was right! My bets had come down to Apollo or Zeus, but I’d been edging towards Zeus.

“Jupiter,” Jason said. “I mean Zeus. Lord of the Sky.”

I couldn’t help smiling. It made sense. The most powerful god, the father of all the greatest heroes in the ancient myths, king of Olympus — no one else could possibly have been Jason’s dad, that was clear enough and I barely knew the guy. Apparently, the rest of the camp wasn’t so sure. Everything broke into chaos, with dozens of people asking questions until Annabeth raised her arms.

“Hold it!” she said. “How can he be the son of Zeus? The Big Three… their pact not to have mortal kids… how could we not have known about him sooner?”

Chiron didn’t answer, the truth was not good.

“The important thing,” Rachel said, “is that Jason’s here now. He has a quest to fulfil, which means he will need his own prophecy.”

She closed her eyes and swooned. Will and another Apollo camper rushed forward and caught her. A third ran to the side of the amphitheatre and grabbed a bronze three-legged stool. They knew what to do, they’d been trained for that duty. They eased Rachel onto the stool in front of the ruined hearth. Without the fire, the night was dark, but green mist started swirling around Rachel’s feet. When she opened her eyes, they were glowing. Emerald smoke issued from her mouth. The voice that came out was raspy and ancient—the sound a snake would make if it could talk:

_“Child of lightning, beware the earth,_

_The giants’ revenge the eight shall birth,_

_The thief’s wings become the fight,_

_And a candle to burn them through the night,_

_The forge and dove shall break the cage,_

_And death unleash through Hera’s rage.”_

On the last word, Rachel collapsed, but her helpers were waiting to catch her. They carried her away from the hearth and laid her in the corner to rest.

I backed off, full of horror. No. No. No. Prophecies always ended badly. _A hero’s soul cursed blade shall reap_. We couldn’t go through that again, we weren’t strong enough.

Travis grabbed my arm and pulled me close to him, I tried to calm my breathing down as I leaned into him.

“Is that normal?” Piper asked. Then she realized she’d spoken into the silence, and everyone was looking at her. “I mean… does she spew green smoke a lot?”

“Gods, you’re dense!” Drew sneered. “She just issued a prophecy—Jason’s prophecy to save Hera! Why don’t you just—”

“Drew,” I snapped, completely done with the day. “Piper asked a fair question. Something about that prophecy definitely isn’t normal. If breaking Hera’s cage unleashes her rage and causes a bunch of death … why would we free her? It might be a trap, or—or maybe Hera will turn on her rescuers. She’s never been kind to heroes.”

Jason rose. “I don’t have much choice. Hera took my memory. I need it back. Besides, we can’t just not help the queen of the heavens if she’s in trouble.”

Don’t get me wrong, good people are awesome and everything, but they don’t half complicate this stuff.

“I don’t see why not.” I muttered and Jason raised an eyebrow at me like ‘are you freaking kidding me?’

Nyssa stood up. “Maybe. But you should listen to her. Hera can be vengeful. She threw her own son—our dad—down a mountain just because he was ugly.”

“Real ugly,” snickered someone from Aphrodite.

“Shut up!” Nyssa growled. “Anyway, we’ve also got to think —why beware the earth? And what’s the giants’ revenge? What are we dealing with here that’s powerful enough to kidnap the queen of the heavens?”

No one answered, but I noticed Annabeth and Chiron having a silent exchange which was s typical. From what I could tell from their faces and what I’d already pieced together I thought it went something like:

Annabeth: The giants’ revenge … no, it can’t be.

Chiron: Don’t speak of it here. Don’t scare them.

Annabeth: You’re kidding me! We can’t be that unlucky.

Chiron: Later, child. If you told them everything, they would be too terrified to proceed.

Annabeth took a deep breath. “It’s Jason’s quest,” she announced, “so it’s Jason’s choice. Obviously, he’s the child of lightning. According to tradition, he may choose any two companions but he’ll need to choose three since they’re all mentioned.”

Conner yelled, “Well, you, obviously, Annabeth. You’ve got the most experience.”

_Excuse you Travis, Annabeth and I have been on the same amount of quests._

“No, Travis,” Annabeth said. “First off, I’m not helping Hera. Every time I’ve tried, she’s deceived me, or it’s come back to bite me later. Forget it. No way. Secondly, I’m leaving first thing in the morning to find Percy.”

“It’s connected,” Piper blurted out. “You know that’s true, don’t you? This whole business, your boyfriend’s disappearance — it’s all connected.”

To my surprise, Annabeth swung round to me and glared at me accusingly. I backed up a step, usually I knew when she was about to do that, but she was pretty scary when she took you off guard.

“How?” demanded Drew. “If you’re so smart, how?”

Piper tried to form an answer, but she obviously couldn’t.

Irritation welled up in me, Piper was obviously right, Drew was just looking for a fight. “You're probably right, Piper. If-”

“If this is connected, I’ll find out from the other end — by searching for _Percy_.” Annabeth but empathise on Percy’s name like that was meant to mean something. “As I said, I’m not about to rush off to rescue Hera, even if her disappearance sets the rest of the Olympians fighting again. But there’s another reason I can’t go. The prophecy says otherwise.” Annabeth finished, my eye twitched.

“It says who I pick,” Jason agreed. “The forge and dove shall break the cage. The forge is the symbol of Vul—Hephaestus.”

Under the Cabin Nine banner, Nyssa’s shoulders slumped, like she’d just been given a heavy anvil to carry. “If you have to beware the earth,” she said, “you should avoid traveling overland. You’ll need air transport.”

“The flying chariot’s broken,” Nyssa continued, “and the pegasi, we’re using them to search for Percy.” So don’t waste all our resources on one thing was what I wanted to say, but Travis must have figured that because he preemptively told me to shut up. “But maybe Hephaestus cabin can help figure out something else to help. With Jake incapacitated, I’m senior camper. I can volunteer for the quest.”

She didn’t sound enthusiastic.

Then Leo stood up. He’d been so quiet I’d almost forgotten he was there which didn’t seem like Leo from what Piper had fondly recalled about him.

“It’s me,” he said.

His cabin mates stirred. Several tried to pull him back to his seat, but Leo resisted.

“No, it’s me. I know it is. I’ve got an idea for the transportation problem. Let me try. I can fix this!”

Jason studied him for a moment. I was sure he was going to tell Leo no. Then he smiled. “We started this together, Leo. Seems only right you come along. You find us a ride, you’re in.”

“Yes!” Leo pumped his fist.

“It’ll be dangerous,” Nyssa warned him. “Hardship, monsters, terrible suffering. Possibly none of you will come back alive.”

“Oh.” Suddenly Leo didn’t look so excited. Then he remembered everyone was watching. “I mean… Oh, cool! Suffering? I love suffering! Let’s do this.”

Annabeth nodded. “Then, Jason, you need to choose the third and fourth quest members. The thief – that’s got to be Hermes.”

“I got your back if you need it Jason,” I offered, trying to be sincere.

“You don’t mind going on a potentially deadly quest?” Jason asked. I shrugged.

“More interesting than staying here.” A bit harsh maybe, but I was going for honest.

Annabeth continued after shooting me a look. She was still glaring at me – I wasn’t sure how I’d managed to piss her off by not going near her, but I was obviously doing a good job of it. “And the dove—”

“Oh, absolutely!” Drew was on her feet and flashing Jason a smile. “The dove is Aphrodite. Everybody knows that. I am totally yours.”

Was it too late to retract the offer? Possibly.

Piper’s hands clenched. She stepped forward. “No.”

_Yes!_

Drew rolled her eyes. “Oh, please, Dumpster girl. Back off.”

“I had the vision of Hera; not you. I have to do this.”

“Anyone can have a vision,” Drew said. Which: nope. “You were just at the right place at the right time.” She turned to Jason. “Look, fighting is all fine, I suppose. And people who build things …” She looked at Leo in disdain. “Well, I suppose someone has to get their hands dirty and you need a few common criminals, traitors some might call them,” Ah, nice little jab, Drew, but you act as if I haven’t already thrown every insult you can think up at myself a hundred times over. A silence descended onto camp briefly – a silence as sharp as knives. “But you need charm on your side. I can be very persuasive. I could help a lot.”

I knew Drew could charmspeak, but that didn’t stop her words making sense to me. We did need a dove to break the cage and after all…

“Well…” Annabeth said. “Given the wording of the prophecy—”

“No!” Piper’s own voice sounded slightly different — more insistent, richer in tone. “I’m supposed to go.”

A blanket of cam descended. Of course she was supposed to; who else would?

“Get over it!” Drew snapped at the crowd. “What can Piper do?”

I could see Piper try to respond, but her confidence had obviously started to wane.

“Well,” Drew said smugly, “I guess that settles it.”

Suddenly there was a reddish glow around Piper and a collective gasp.

Holy hell – she looked beautiful.

“What?” she demanded.

She looked above her, but there was no burning symbol like the one that appeared over Leo. Then she looked down and yelped.

Piper was adorned in a beautiful white sleeveless gown that went down to her ankles, with a low V-neck. Delicate gold armbands circled her biceps. An intricate necklace of amber, coral, and gold flowers glittered on her chest. Her hair was perfect: lush and long and chocolate brown, braided with gold ribbons down one side so it fell across her shoulder. She even wore makeup — subtle touches that made her lips cherry red and brought out all the different colours in her eyes.

“Oh, god,” she said. “What’s happened?”

She hesitated a moment before unsheathing a newly polished and oiled Katoptris and looking gingerly at herself. Her mouth dropped open in shock.

She was...

“Beautiful,” Rachel smiled honestly. “Piper, you look like a million dollars.”

Drew’s face was full of horror and revulsion. “No!” she cried. “Not possible!”

“This isn’t me,” Piper protested. “I — don’t understand.”

Chiron folded his front legs and bowed to her, and the rest of us followed his example.

“Hail, Piper McLean,” Chiron announced gravely, as if he were speaking at her funeral. “Daughter of Aphrodite, lady of the doves, goddess of love.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that was actually quite fun to write lol 
> 
> the alternate title was 'Jason Grace Is ExtraTM'


	7. seven | the blood that won't wash off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The world will burn if I don't."  
> "Then let it."

**vii**

**clara**

**December, 2015**

After Piper’s makeover she’d been swamped. Drew still looked horrified, she was hissing at some of her half-sisters and everyone could tell she was planning on making Piper’s life as difficult as she could. Leo scampered off somewhere, which seemed rude until I remembered that he was trying to find us transport and reminded myself (in a voice that sounded kinda like Tori's) not to be complete bitch all the time.

Jason and I approached Piper after a while, I handed her a blanket because while the Camp was protected from the worst of the weather, it was still miles too cold to be wearing a thin dress. She wrapped it around her shoulders and smiled to me, saying thank you in a way that made me grin.

“Mugged by my own mum,” She said, kind of laughing, kind of disbelieving.

Jason formally asked her to join the quest, charming as could be, which she obviously agreed to do and that was that really.

We were on the way back to our separate cabins far too soon.

Which obviously was when I was pulled off track by a very angry Daughter of Athena.

“Clara.” She growled out. I couldn’t help my eyes flickering down to her waist where I knew her knife was. It was celestial bronze and I had had enough of those embedded in my torso to last a lifetime.

I attempted a smile, but it didn’t work very well because I was trying to wriggle out of the vice like grip she had on my arms. “Annabeth.”

“Don’t lie to me.” She snapped. I knew she wasn’t done, that she was about to rant, but anger burned up inside me so sharply I couldn’t keep it down properly.

“What’s your problem?” I demanded before she could finish her sentence.

For half a second, Annabeth looked at me like I’d grown a second head. “What did you say to Piper?” She said slowly as if I was even dumber than I was. “About Percy.”

“What?” I asked, not very angry anymore, just confused. I pulled my jacket more tightly around myself as a cold wind whistled through the woods. The leaves rustled against each other and I could remember a time when I would’ve found that comforting.

"What did you tell them about the last war?" She snapped, and I understood what she was going for – the last time I'd seen Percy, or spoken to him at least.

I rolled my eyes, anger rolling through me. "Nothing." I snapped and pulled my arm out of her hand. "What's it matter anyway?"

Annabeth scowled at me more intensely, looking like she was a few seconds away from stamping her foot. "She doesn't need to hate him because you do."

"She's more than capable of thinking for herself." I snarled back. Then forced myself to swallow. "And," I said, more controlled, "I haven't said anything."

“We both know you don't need to say anything directly to manipulate people.” She snapped.

Great. I was lost again.

"Annabeth – what are you talking about?"

“You’d have known if you stuck around.” She shouted, finally losing her temper completely. Rage burnt in her grey eyes. I almost thought she was going to go for her knife, but she held herself back.

“Don't lie to Piper.” Annabeth demanded, she’s that way sometimes – just kind of expects you to obey her. It’s not entitlement, I suppose its hubris mostly. She thinks she knows best (a lot of the time she does, but that’s not my point) and thinks you should know that too.

She turned to walk away, but looked back at me after a few steps. “Get some sleep. And come back alive.”

_Alright then._

I couldn’t quite process, but I walked back to my cabin quickly.

* * *

It felt like it’d been years since I was last in Cabin Eleven, which was stupid because it’d really only been a hundred and nineteen days, not including today. Three months, almost four.

It wasn’t that I missed it exactly, but I would admit that the familiarity of it all was comforting. That everyone had their own bed was a nice bonus too – no more sleeping bags covering the floor. Ideally this would have meant we all had wardrobe space too, but none of us wanted to get our things nicked so they were piled under the mountain of blankets on our beds. 

Just as I lay on my bunk, twisting the covers around myself to try and get the chill out of my bones (even if it never really left) and trying to stop myself from looking over to the bunk in the corner near the window that Luke used to have, Travis launched himself onto my bed from his own opposite bunk.

“Ow!” I yelped as he landed on my legs.

He gave me his usual shit eating grin and shifted so we were lying top to toe across the bunk, which was much easier to do when we were small. Turning around briefly, I folded my pillow behind my head so I could prop myself up and look Travis in the eyes while he was talking and when I looked back at him, his smile was much more serious. “So,” He started wiggling his cold toes, “the new quest sounds dangerous.”

Not quite sure what response he was looking for, I just shrugged. Quests were always dangerous, that’s why so many people died.

“Think you’ll come back alive?” He prodded. I was tempted to just shrug again, but I wasn’t trying to alienate everyone I’d ever cared about no matter what it must have looked like from the outside.

“Maybe.” I guessed, pulling the blankets more tightly around my shoulders and missing the winter days when I could curl up in Luke’s bed and stay warm like that.

Sighing, Travis sat up. He looked around the cabin to check no one else was listening; Conner was reading our youngest half-sister Kara a bedtime story (complete with personalised voices and sound effects), Julia and Alice were giggling on Julia’s bunk over some comic books, Cecil and Chris were already asleep, Aaron hadn’t come back from the shower yet and Julian had snuck off to meet up with his girlfriend. The unclaimed kids, Abigail, Peggy, Jamie and Steven were sat in the middle of the floor playing with some Chris’ old army figurines.

“Do you even care about coming back alive?” He asked, quiet and deadly serious.

My first instinct, naturally, was to lie. I was about to tell him that _‘of course I did, how could I deprive myself of the joy of annoying him?_ ’ before I remembered that I’d disappeared for the last seventeen weeks. I went to defensive next, asking him what he’d been smoking, but even as I thought of that I didn’t have the energy to lie to him properly.

“Not really.” I shrugged, being far more honest that I meant to be. Travis flinched hard, and pulled me close to him in a hug that crushed my arms tight to my ribs. It would’ve been painful, but I was so desperate for any real affection that I barely noticed. “I’m sorry,” I whispered into his collarbone. “I’m really sorry.”

He let out a wet laugh that made something inside me shrivel up and die of guilt but otherwise stayed silent for a few moments. As best I could, I let myself sink into the warmth of his arms and the security that should have brought, but it felt impossible. Even as I tried, all I could feel was the phantom weight of Luke’s cold, dead body.

A shiver tunnelled down my spine and I darted backwards on reflex (a reflex that had _not_ been helpful in Vegas). Travis’ face shifted into hurt almost too quickly for me to see before he repaired his smile. Almost but not quite. _Great job, Clara,_ I thought hatefully, _you’ve managed to screw that up as well._

“It doesn’t matter, Travis,” I said, rearranging my blankets, “I’m just tired. Everything’ll be golden in the morning.” I don’t think I could have told a less convincing lie if my life depended on it, but he nodded and squeezed my hand before clambering back to his own bunk.

I rolled over and pressed my face into the familiar, lumpy pillow, swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth and begged for sleep.

_To my horror I was back in the throne room of Olympus in the final minutes of the Battle of Manhattan. "BAH!" Kronos screamed. He slashed his sword through the smoke, tearing the image of the gods defeating his giant to shreds._

_"They're on their way," Percy said. "You've lost."_

_"I haven't even started." Kronos snarled back, twisting Luke’s features grotesquely. This wasn’t my big brother, this was the merciless Titan that threw me into a cell in Tartarus._

_He advanced with blinding speed. Grover — brave, stupid satyr that he was — tried to protect Percy, but Kronos tossed him aside like a rag doll._

_I twisted from where I was collapsed on the floor. The knife through my torso twitched agonisingly at the movement. I needed to get to Luke, Kronos would destroy him – burn him out._

_Percy sidestepped and jabbed under Kronos's guard. It was a good trick. Unfortunately, Luke knew it. Kronos countered the strike and disarmed Percy using one of the first moves Luke had ever taught him. His sword skittered across the ground and fell straight into the open fissure._

_"STOP!" Annabeth came from nowhere._

_Kronos whirled to face her and slashed with Backbiter, but somehow Annabeth caught the strike on her dagger hilt. It was a move only the quickest and most skilled knife fighter could've managed. Don't ask me where she found the strength, but she stepped in closer for leverage, their blades crossed, and for a moment she stood face-to-face with the Titan lord, holding him at a standstill._

_"Luke," she said, gritting her teeth, "I understand now. You have to trust me."_

_Kronos roared in outrage. "Luke Castellan is dead! His body will burn away as I assume my true form!" A strangled sob burned up my throat as I lunged forward, fingers wrapping around Kleftis as I struggled to move towards Luke. I had no plan and no idea what I’d do if I reached him, but frantic desperation to help him made me reach for him._

_Kronos pushed against her, trying to dislodge his blade, but she held him in check, her arms trembling as he forced his sword down toward her neck._

_"Your mother," Annabeth grunted. "She saw your fate."_

_"Service to Kronos!" Kronos roared. "This is my fate."_

_“Luke!” I called, dragging my body forward, half way between being on my feet and my knees._

_"No!" Annabeth insisted. Her eyes were tearing up, but I didn't know why; she’d rejected Luke when he’d come to her for help. "That's not the end, Luke. The prophecy: she saw what you would do. It applies to you!"_

_"I will crush you, child!" Kronos bellowed._

_"You won't," Annabeth said. "You promised. You're holding Kronos back even now."_

_"LIES!" Kronos pushed again, and this time Annabeth lost her balance. With his free hand, Kronos struck her face, and she slid backward. Out of the corner_

_“Luke!” I called again, approaching from the side while he loomed over Annabeth, his sword raised. “Luke, you promised me you’d be here.” Kronos turned to me, sword dipping slightly. “Luke, I love you. You promised. Family, always family.”_

_“Family.” Annabeth echoed, blood caking her mouth._

_I staggered forward, blood in my mouth, coating my hands and seeping out of the wound in my side._

_He stared at the knife in Annabeth's hand, the blood on her face and mine. "Promise."_

_Then he gasped like he couldn't get air. "Annabeth . . ." But it wasn't Kronos' voice. It was Luke's. He stumbled forward like he couldn't control his own body. I was by his side before I was aware I’d even moved. He wrapped and arm around me too, though still looked at Annabeth. "You're bleeding. . . ."_

_"My knife." Annabeth tried to raise her dagger, but it clattered out of her hand. Her arm was bent at a funny angle. She looked at Percy, imploring, "Percy, please . . ."_

_He surged forward and scooped up her knife, knocked Backbiter out of Luke's hand, and it spun into the hearth. Luke hardly paid him any attention. He stepped toward Annabeth, away from me, but Percy put himself between Luke and her._

_"Don't touch her," He said._

_Anger rippled across his face. Kronos's voice growled: "Jackson . . ." Was it my imagination, or was his whole body glowing, turning gold?_

_No! No! No!_

_It couldn’t happen! It couldn’t! Not like this._

_He gasped again. Luke's voice: "He's changing. Help. He's . . . he's almost ready. He won't need my body anymore. Please—"_

_"NO!" Kronos bellowed. He looked around for his sword, but it was in the hearth, glowing among the coals._

_He stumbled toward it. I tried to stop him at the same time as Percy, but he pushed us both out of the way with such force I landed next to Annabeth and cracked my head on the base of Athena's throne. The knife in my torso was shifted violently and I cried out, curling around it as a fresh flow of blood stained my clothes._

_"The knife, Percy," Annabeth muttered. Her breath was shallow. "Hero... cursed blade..."_

_When my vision came back into focus, I saw Kronos grasping his sword. Then he bellowed in pain and dropped it. His hands were smoking and seared. The hearth fire had grown red-hot, like the scythe wasn't compatible with it. I saw an image of Hestia flickering in the ashes, frowning at Kronos with disapproval._

_Luke turned and collapsed, clutching his ruined hands. "Please, Percy..."_

_“Lu... Luke–” I chocked, crawling towards him, scared out of my mind._

_Percy struggled to his feet. He moved toward him with the knife._

_Luke seemed to know what Percy must have been thinking. He moistened his lips. "You can't... can't do it yourself. He'll break my control. He'll defend himself. Only my hand. I know where. I can... can keep him controlled."_

_It suddenly dawned on me what he was planning._

_“No!” I begged, mouth full of blood, “Luke you can’t! Please. Please don’t. Please, Luke.”_

_He was definitely glowing now, his skin starting to smoke._

_Percy raised the knife to strike. Then he looked at Annabeth, at Grover cradling her in his arms, trying to shield her. And he finally understood what she'd been trying to tell him._

_"Please," Luke groaned. "No time."_

_If Kronos evolved into his true form, there would be no stopping him. He would make Typhon look like a playground bully._

_I sobbed harder, the tears and blood mixing in the throat and on my cheeks._

_Percy looked at me and even through my tears I could see the apology in his eyes. He handed Luke the knife and Luke took it, ignoring me as I begged him to stop._

_Grover yelped. "Percy? Are you... um..."_

_But we all watched as Luke grasped the hilt._

_“Please!” I begged Luke as loudly as I could around the gagging caused by blood. “Please don’t! You can’t please Luke please.”_

_He unlatched the side straps of his armor, exposing a small bit of his skin just under his left arm, a place that would be very hard to hit._

_He looked me directly in the eyes and it was the saddest I’d ever seen him. Anything that was still whole inside me snapped; there was no chance he wouldn’t go through with it. “The world will burn if I don’t.” He told me, as though it mattered._

_“Then let it.” I begged._

_He smiled at me, then, with difficulty, he stabbed himself._

_I let out a sound between a scream, a sob and a gag. It wasn't a deep cut, but Luke howled. His eyes glowed like lava. The throne room shook, throwing Percy off his feet. An aura of energy surrounded Luke, growing brighter and brighter. I shut my eyes and gripped his right hand tightly as he dropped the knife and felt a force like a nuclear explosion blister my skin and crack my lips._

_Luke sprawled at the hearth, half across my lap. On the floor around him was a blackened circle of ash. Kronos's scythe had liquefied into molten metal and was trickling into the coals of the hearth, which now glowed like a blacksmith's furnace._

_Luke's left side was bloody. His eyes were open — blue eyes, the way they used to be. His breath was a deep rattle._

_"Good... blade," he croaked._

_Luke’s head was balanced on me, I gently dragged my fingers through his hair, the way he used to do for me after a nightmare. I couldn’t breathe for crying, and I could barely see him through the tears. Percy knelt next to him. Annabeth limped over with Grover's support._

_Luke gazed at Annabeth. "You knew. I almost killed you, but you knew..."_

_"Shhh." Her voice trembled. "You were a hero at the end, Luke. You'll go to Elysium."_

_He shook his head weakly. "Think... rebirth. Try for three times. Isles of the Blest."_

_Annabeth sniffled. "You always pushed yourself too hard."_

_Through the blood and tears, he laughed. He nodded to her once and turned to Grover as he began to talk, "We can get ambrosia," Grover said. "We can—"_

_"Grover," Luke gulped. "You're the bravest satyr I ever knew. But no. There's no healing..." Another cough._

_“We can,” I chocked. “Please.” Luke smiled gently and raised a charred hand to my cheek, brushing away the tears under my eyes, even though they were coming faster and faster. I could feel the heat of his skin like a fire._

_He gripped Percy’s sleeve with the other hand. "Ethan. Me. All the unclaimed. Don't let it... Don't let it happen again."_

_His eyes were angry, but pleading too._

_"I won't," Percy said. "I promise."_

_Once again, he turned to me and through the twitching agonies the stab wound triggered, he attempted a smile. His lips were wet with blood. So were mine._

_At least he wouldn’t die alone – or not for long at any rate._

_“Smile.” He told me, begging. For years I’d wished for the old Luke back, it seemed like the fates had devised a special kind of torture, returning him for a few moments – so we could watch him die. “Gimme a smile, Clara. For luck.”_

_I tried, but I was useless. All I could do was bleed, cry and hold him as tightly as I could._

_“I can’t.” I sobbed, pressing a kiss to his cheek._

_“Smile, Little Bug.” It was the nickname more than anything that did it – he hadn’t used it in years. “Please.”_

_I smiled at him as best I could. “I love you.” I told him, trying to pour all of my adoration for him into it, but it didn’t matter anymore._

_He’d gone slack in my arms._

_He was dead._

_I think I screamed. I must have cried to, but it was all a blur. The next thing I remembered was walking blindly through Olympus until I walked straight into my father._

_Apollo healed me, apparently, and Zeus cleared me of the committing treason. I wished they hadn’t. I’d have been happy to follow Luke one more time. At least that would’ve been useful. I wished Zeus had condemned me – thrown me into the Fields of Punishment or back into the pit, at least I wouldn’t have to try to keep breathing without Luke there._

_I couldn’t remember any of it. Someone took me away from Luke – Luke’s corpse – I don’t know who. Apparently, my father kissed his forehead and gave his body to the fates to burn, like he was acting out his fantasy he was a proper Dad._

_But I don’t know. That was the last time I ever saw Luke and my stupid brain couldn’t even remember it. Even in my dreams it was just a haze of blood and pain and tears. I never saw them burn his body. I never saw them reward the survivors of the battle. I never said goodbye properly._

_I just wanted to say goodbye._

_No. No, that’s not true. I wanted to hug him and never let go. I wanted to scream at the world until it fixed itself and gave him back. I wanted to go back and convince him to drop the knife. I wanted to have Annabeth stab herself instead. I wanted to push Percy of Olympus for giving him the idea. Most of all, I wanted to go back and swap places; Luke was stronger than me – he’d be fine. I wanted to throw myself off Olympus and I wanted to slit my own throat. My finger’s itched to tear out my hair, or scratch my skin until it bled – could you slit your wrists that way? It would be worth a try, I thought without really thinking it at all._

_I don’t know why I didn’t. Maybe someone stopped me?_

_I can’t remember. It doesn’t matter._

_Nothing. Mattered._

_“Clara.” Father said. His eyes were red. Maybe he’d cried. Usually the thought would have made me angry, I hated it when Gods pretended to care about their children. But I felt nothing._

_I wanted Luke back._

_“What?” I asked, when I remembered I was meant to respond. I could have been stood there a while for all I know. Hermes was certainly looking at me strangely._

_He looked at me slowly. “You walked into me.”_

_“Oh.”_

_He didn't seem to notice my response. There were Iris-message images in front of him, they were going so fast I could hardly see them. I didn’t care much either way, but it was something to look at other than blood. Mortal newscasts from all over the country flashed by: scenes of Typhon's destruction, the wreckage our battle had left across Manhattan, the president doing a news conference, the mayor of New York, some army vehicles riding down the Avenue of the Americas._

_Percy walked up next to us. Kleftis and Klevo were still in my hands, still slick with blood. He looked at me gently, as if to take them out of my hands, but thought better of it. I wanted to slash them across my father’s throat, in a vague sort of way – I sort of thought that it’d be a good idea, but couldn’t move my arms to kill him. I wanted to. I think._

_I didn’t._

_I didn’t do anything._

_I didn’t even know if I was still breathing; to be honest, I hoped not._

_"Amazing," My Father murmured. He turned toward Percy and I was glad in that I’m-not-actually-feeling-anything-but-I-know-I-would-be-if-I-was. "Three thousand years, and I will never get over the power of the Mist . . . and mortal ignorance."_

_"Thanks, I guess." Percy said._

_I didn’t care about mortals. I wanted Luke back._

_"Oh, not you.” My Father said. “Although, I suppose I should wonder, turning down immortality."_ What? _I wondered, not interested, but too ADHD to ignore it._

_"It was the right choice."_

_He looked at Percy curiously, then returned his attention to the Iris-message. "Look at them. They've already decided Typhon was a freak series of storms. Don't I wish. They haven't figured out how all the statues in Lower Manhattan got removed from their pedestals and hacked to pieces. They keep showing a shot of Susan B. Anthony strangling Frederick Douglass. But I imagine they'll even come up with a logical explanation for that."_

_"How bad is the city?"_

_My father shrugged. "Surprisingly, not too bad. The mortals are shaken, of course. But this is New York. I've never seen such a resilient bunch of humans. I imagine they'll be back to normal in a few weeks; and of course I'll be helping."_

_"You?"_

_"I'm the messenger of the gods. It's my job to monitor what the mortals are saying, and if necessary, help them make sense of what's happened. I'll reassure them. Trust me, they'll put this down to a freak earthquake or a solar flare. Anything but the truth."_

_He sounded bitter._

_Good._

_Luke was bitter for years. It ate him alive._ Alive. _It ate him alive until he died. I hoped my father felt the same._

_George and Martha curled around his caduceus, but they were silent, which made me think that my father was really, really angry. Percy probably should've kept quiet, but he said, "I owe you an apology."_

_My Father gave him a cautious look. I started at nothing. "And why is that?"_

_"I thought you were a bad father," Percy admitted. "I thought you abandoned Luke because you knew his future and didn't do anything to stop it."_

_"I did know his future," My Father said miserably._

_"But you knew more than just the bad stuff—that he'd turn evil. You understood what he would do in the end. You knew he'd make the right choice. But you couldn't tell him, could you?"_

_My father stared at the fountain. "No one can tamper with fate, Percy, not even a god. If I had warned him what was to come, or tried to influence his choices, I would've made things even worse. Staying silent, staying away from him . . . that was the hardest thing I've ever done."_

_“Liar.” I said. I wasn’t sure if I meant to, but both of them spun round to look at me in shock, so I must have. “You always stayed away.” He sighed, as if I was too stupid to understand. Maybe I was?_

_I don’t know. I don’t care. The momentary burst of anger had gone, leaving me feel even more hollow than before._

_I wanted my big brother._

_My eyes began to burn with tears again so I closed them. I wished I could stop hearing too. Things needed to stop. I needed to talk to Luke. I needed to see Luke. I couldn’t. Ever._

_Never, ever, ever again._

_My eyes burned more so I squeezed them even more tightly closed._

_"You had to let him find his own path," Percy said, "and play his part in saving Olympus."_

_My father sighed. "I should not have gotten mad at Annabeth. When Luke visited her in San Francisco . . . well, I knew she would have a part to play in his fate. I foresaw that much. I thought perhaps she could do what I could not and save him. When she refused to go with him, I could barely contain my rage. I should have known better. I was really angry with myself."_

_"Annabeth did save him," Percy lied. "Luke died a hero. He sacrificed himself to kill Kronos."_

_"I appreciate your words, Percy. But Kronos isn't dead. You can't kill a Titan."_

_My legs shook and my eyes burned. Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop._

_"Then—"_

_"I don't know," My father grumbled. "None of us do. Blown to dust. Scattered to the wind. With luck, he's spread so thin that he'll never be able to form a consciousness again, much less a body. But don't mistake him for dead, Percy."_

_"What about the other Titans?"_

_"In hiding," Hermes said. "Prometheus sent Zeus a message with a bunch of excuses for supporting Kronos. 'I was just trying to minimize the damage,' blah, blah. He'll keep his head low for a few centuries if he's smart. Krios has fled, and Mount Othrys has crumbled into ruins. Oceanus slipped back into the deep ocean when it was clear Kronos had lost. Meanwhile, my son Luke is dead. He died believing I didn't care about him. I will never forgive myself."_

_Good._

_My father slashed his caduceus through the mist. The Iris-picture disappeared._

_"A long time ago," Percy said, "you told me the hardest thing about being a god was not being able to help your children. You also told me that you couldn't give up on your family, no matter how tempting they made it."_

_"And now you know I'm a hypocrite?"_

_Yes._

_"No, you were right, Luke loved you. At the end, he realized his fate. I think he realized why you couldn't help him. He remembered what was important."_

_"Too late for him and me."_

_"You have other children. Honour Luke by recognizing them. All the gods can do that."_

_Hermes's shoulders sagged. "They'll try, Percy. Oh, we'll all try to keep our promise. And maybe for a while things will get better. But we gods have never been good at keeping oaths. You were born because of a broken promise, eh? Eventually we'll become forgetful. We always do."_

_"You can change."_

_Hermes laughed. "After three thousand years, you think the gods can change their nature?"_

_"Yeah," Percy said. "I do."_

_Hermes seemed surprised by that. "You think . . . Luke actually loved me? After all that happened?"_

_"I'm sure of it."_

_“Shut up.” I said. Opening my eyes. Percy looked at me again. He moved as if to touch me, maybe his fingers did, I don’t know. I flinched back either way. “It doesn’t matter.” I snapped, voice breaking with tears. I couldn’t stop them going down my cheeks so I didn’t bother trying._

_“Luke’s dead.” I reminded them. I don’t know if Percy could understand because I was crying as I said it. “Luke’s dead and he’s never going to love anyone again.” I turned to my father with difficulty. “He knew you don’t care. We both do.” I reminded him. How did he forget? We’d told him._

_I tried to remember what he’d said, which was difficult because my brain was mostly a painful blankness. “You said you won’t forgive yourself?” I tried, bungling the words and mangling everything. He nodded. “Good. Nor will I.” He flinched, which should have made me happy, but I didn’t care._

_“You killed him. You and Her and Me.” I said. My legs were shaking in earnest now, and I couldn’t breathe. Mum was mad, Father was bad and I should have talked him out of the whole thing. I let him go there, like a lamb to slaughter, wasn’t that the phrase?_

_I tried to look him in the eye, but I couldn’t see through my tears. “We should never be forgiven. We don’t deserve it.”_

_Turning, I walked away. Down towards New York City were Luke’s blood didn’t stain the ground._

_My dream changed, but not really for the better._

_The hot red air of the pit pressed against my skin tightly, like cling film wrapped around my entire body. Pressing against me until I couldn't breathe. Thick, filthy smog stretched out over the marsh of broken glass. I could feel it cutting into my feet even as I stood still – slicing and getting stuck._

_I took a step forward, and screamed. The shards in my foot were pushed further in my flesh as more forced their way in. My knees buckled._

_Instinctually, I's raised my hands to break my fall, but the glass had only ripped them open to. My palms were a mess of blood to go with the putrid crimson air._

_I leaned forward, coughing uncontrollably._

_With blood on my teeth and it's coppery taste on my tongue, I was finally able to look up again._

_About thirty feet in front of me, someone was stood watching me. I struggled back to my feet, but as soon as I stepped towards them, they moved further away._

_I caught a faint glint of blonde hair._

_Then I was back in New Orleans, with the familiar jazz music drifting through the French Quarter. The smell of honeysuckle and roses hung thickly in the air, as sticky and suffocating as the humidity itself. I blinked my eyes open, staring at the street outside of Tori's house._

_Ever since the hurricane, she'd lived there with her Grandmother. Our mom couldn't look after Luke and I, let alone Tori as well. Luke hadn't spoken to her since she chose to live with her grandmother, he'd told me not to as well. I hadn't understood, really, at the time but I'd done as he said anyway._

_It was only last summer I'd seen Tori again. When I headed back up to New Orleans I'd run into her near our mom's old house (technically mine now). It had been awkward at first, but Tori was a lot better at forgiveness than Luke and I._

_In the dream, the yellow-green grass outside of the Inn Tori's Grandmother owned seemed to shift. I crouched to look closer, but as I did it twisted into the vague shape of a woman's face._

_I jumped backwards._ What the fu-

Sweet child _the woman seemed to say, although her lips didn't move._ They've made you forget.

_Saying my guard was raised would've been an understatement. There were red alert alarms screaming in my head. Everything Luke had told me about Kronos appearing in his nightmares rushed back to me. Could this be– But Chiron had said he couldn't come back._

I'll make you remember again. _The woman seemed to promise. Her voice was soft, but taunting, like she knew all my worst fears._ You won't forget again. Jason Grace has forgotten, _the woman said and my heart fell to my feet – Grace._ He'll remember too. You'll destroy each other.

Go on, _the woman prompted, and even without seeing her I knew she was talking about the window into Tori's home,_ look at her.

_I moved forward – but I hadn't taken a step. It was as if the ground itself shifted and distorted at my feet until I was staring into Tori's living room._ You can see what will happen to her. _The woman said sweetly, but there was steel in her voice._ Poor, sweet mortal girl. So defenceless. A pawn of the Olympians.

_Inside, vines from Tori's grandmother's plants had wrapped themselves around the whole room. From the ceiling, across the walls and covering the flaw – snake-like carpets. Tori's struggling, desperate body lay beneath one of them. If the window had been open, I think I would've been able to hear her screaming._

_"Who are you?" I demanded._

I am the rivers and the brooks and the flowers and the trees. I am the cliffs and the gorges and the sand. I am everything. _The woman purred._

_"That's not a proper answer. I wanted a name."_

I have no name. I have every name. I am the Earth itself.

_"You're a bitch." I said, my mouth running well ahead of my brain. "What are you doing to my sister?"_

_The Earth pulled me away from the window. My struggled to grab onto the ledge was useless, my fingers passed straight through it._ A mere mortal, used by the Council of Olympus. _The woman said. I suppose she'd had a point in amongst all her rambling, her voice did remind me of a slow moving brook._ You were in her position, my child. You could be so much greater.

_"I'll leave greatness to others, thanks." I replied, but my throat was dry. This wasn't Kronos. This was something much more powerful. My skin crawled._

This is what you live for; the rush of rebellion, the death in battle. _My hands shook, so I shoved them into my pockets as deeply as I could._ Do you think your hands will ever be clean again? Luke Castellan. Livia Pernell. Ethan Nakamura. Michael Yew. Silena Beauregard. Pollux Rowan. How many more died because of you? _My eyes blurred. The houses and the streets seemed to run into each other, then far away._

_"Stop." I commanded, but my voice was hoarse._

So much blood for one so young. _The woman purred._ Let me take the burden for you, my child. _She offered._ I'll give you what you wish for most, in blood and life, as long as you leave the camp you loath.

_I was still shaking, but I could almost see Camp Half Blood in my mind's eye. The lady – whoever she was – was right. I did loath it. I never wanted to see it again in my life, but I didn't want it gone. It protected too many people._

_I didn't dare consider what she said she'd give back – I couldn't afford temptation._

_"Lady," I said. "Go fu-"_

_The dream disintegrated around me._

"Yourself."

I woke with a start, feeling my heartbeat in my ears and dried tear tracks on my cheeks. I scowled. I hadn’t had the nightmare about the pit for months, though the memory of Luke’s death reappeared nearly every night, it’s why I didn’t sleep much. And whatever that last nightmare had been…

I really didn't want to think about.

Figuring getting out of the cabin quickly was my best shot at avoiding another train wreck conversation with Travis, I grabbed my bag of clothes and soaps and sprinted across the dewy grass to the shower block (which had underfloor heating – thank god).

After I washed and dressed, I slid my hands through my hair, shoving it in a ponytail because I didn’t want to remember the phantom feelings of Luke’s hands braiding my hair before deciding it was probably best I went to find Jason – the sun was up after all and the winter solstice was drawing ever closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you like Tori well enough, she's not a major character or anything, but she does sort of come in - more as a tie to the mortal world than anything else


	8. eight | grace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Jason Grace has forgotten. He'll remember too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter covers some dark topics (child abuse) in the flashback

**viii**

**clara**

**December, 2015**

I looked around the Mess Hall, which was empty, and the Campfire Pit, which was also empty, before I decided I didn’t care that much if it was rude to be in someone’s cabin this early. Someone, being Jason. He was a chill guy, and a quest to free Hera (as much as I disliked her) was pretty important. My dream was playing on my mind to and, as weak as it made me feel, I couldn't stomach the thought of being alone outdoors.

_Beware the earth,_ hadn't that been one of the prophecy lines? I hated the sick feeling inside me – I'd been a demigod too long to believe in coincidences.

I was ashamed to admit it, but I almost wanted to get down to New Orleans, forget about Camp and the quest and make sure Tori was safe, but I'd done things like that before, in the last war. It never went well, not really. Besides, if the woman was right (I was hoping not, but when has hope ever actually worked?) that could condemn the camp. Personally, I doubted that there was anything I could do which would make that much of an impact with people like Jason and Annabeth around, but it still shook me up a bit.

As I walked around, I remembered odd little thing from the years I’d been at Camp. Hotwiring the Camp SUV with Chris (Travis and Conner totally copied us with that prank), training with Annabeth in the amphitheatre, watching Clarisse dunk the new kids heads in the toilet, watching Percy explode the pipes on her when she’d done it to him, watching Nadia Lambert do it to her when she’d first got to camp. I remembered running around the woods with one of my friends before Luke turned on Olympus. I’d seen him at dinner of course, but Mitchell hadn’t acknowledged my existence, he’d spent all the time talking to his siblings. Although, I wasn’t angry with him and I understood why he wouldn’t want to, it did hurt a bit.

When we were both young Mitchell and I spent loads of time together, once, we helped Travis and Conner throw a mango into his cabin, it was sprayed gold and had ‘for the hottest’ written on it. Watching them fight over it kept me laughing for hours, even when we were meant to go to sleep, Travis, Conner and I kept making each other laugh all over again. They’d found out it was us, of course. When they caught us they put clown make up on Travis that lasted for a week, made all of Conner’s clothes two sizes too small, made Mitchell wear “the shoes” and charm spoke me into telling Percy I had a crush on him. I’d told him they just charm spoke me and he laughed it off, but the humiliation burned at the back of my mind.

Gods, just thinking about it made me want to crawl into a black hole.

We’d studied together sometimes too; we’d learnt from textbooks, crowding over them in the sun or older campers went over their favourite subjects with us. He used to like doing my hair and I taught him how to pick pocket. I remember when he finally managed to successfully pickpocket Travis; we’d snuck out onto the cabin roof to eat ice cream. Luke found us eventually and gave us sprinkles to go with it instead of scolding us.

It hit me just how much I missed him. Annabeth too, because she’d join us sometimes. When we studied she’d talk about architecture until the sun went down. At the campfire we’d sing the songs together and dance until our legs ached. I had a photo somewhere of us collapsed together after dancing until the early hours. We’d talk all day, who we liked, who we didn’t, the activates we’d failed at and the ones we hadn’t, the university we’d want to go to in a perfect world, our families, cackle over memes and Travis and Conner’s latest pranks. Everything really. 

I wasn’t around Camp when Annabeth and Mitchell had had a massive fall out, and I didn’t quite know what it was over, but I had a good idea from what Travis and Conner had told me. Annabeth and I didn’t speak for obvious reasons and Mitchell’s iron hard morals – about serious things anyway – meant that he’d never want to be around me again.

We’d learnt how to fight by each other’s sides and it felt strangely appropriate to me that none of us talked to each other now the war was over.

Percy, though.

I remembered what Annabeth had said last night. I knew what she'd been talking about. The last thing I'd said to him still rung in my ears, making me sick with guilt. I knew, if I was a better person, I would have IMed him and apologised, just admitted that I was wrong. But I could never quite bring myself to do it. Something… something stopped me every time I thought about it. I suppose, even if I had apologised, it wouldn't have been taking it back, I wouldn't have meant it properly. It would've only an empty courtesy. 

Sighing, I looked up at Cabin One’s intimating bank-like doors, the morning sun illuminated the faint carvings of lightning strikes against the doors. 

I was lucky really that when I walked into Cabin One Jason was already up and dressed. He’d walked over to a brazier had been moved out of one of the alcoves to create a sleeping niche, with a bedroll, a backpack, even some pictures taped to the wall. Thalia’s. I remembered that she’d hated cabin one.

It was wide and empty, almost every inch of it was in Zeus’s statue’s eye line. Thick and high, the walls were a bright cold marble that reflected the sun in painful brightness. The bedroll smelled musty. The backpack was covered with a thin film of dust. Some of the photos once taped to the wall had lost their stickiness and fallen to the floor. Jason moved towards the photos and picked a few up.

My heart sunk when I saw it.

One picture showed Annabeth at eight years old, same blond hair and grey eyes, same distracted look like she was thinking a million things at once. She stood next to Luke, who about fourteen or fifteen, with his familiar mischievous smile and ragged leather armour over a T-shirt. My dream from the night before flashed through my head as I saw him again.

Luke was stood with his arm around me, hugging me close to him. He was pointing to an alley behind us, like he was telling Thalia ‘let’s go meet things in a dark alley and kill them!’ as she was taking the photograph. The second photo showed Annabeth, Luke and I sitting at a campfire, laughing hysterically.

Finally Jason looked at one of the photos that had fallen. It was a strip of pictures we’d taken in a do-it-yourself photo booth: Annabeth, Luke and I, with Thalia between us. She was fifteen, with black hair — choppy like Piper’s — a black leather jacket, and silver jewellery, so she looked kind of Goth; but she was caught mid-laugh, and her smile could have lit up the sky.

“That’s Thalia,” I told him.

Jason turned.

“She’s the other child of Zeus who lived here — but not for long.” I paused, then added as an afterthought, “Sorry, I should’ve knocked.”

“Its fine,” Jason said, looking like he attempted a smile which was nice of him, but couldn’t quite get it. “Not like I think of this place as home.”

My winged shoes fluttered restlessly at my feet. I knew I should say something helpful – I wanted to say something – but I knew, especially after what I'd heard last night in my dream, that there wasn't anything I could really say. I didn't want to lie to Jason either, which made something feel strange in my stomach since that kind of thing didn't usually bother me.

Jason looked me up and down and asked, “Don’t suppose you’ve changed your mind about coming with us?”

I shook my head. “Nah, should be fun.”

He nodded, looking somewhat relieved and I felt an unexpected amount of sympathy for him. He had no idea who he was and was still willing to lead a potentially deadly quest? I couldn’t ever imagine being that brave. If this was what he was like without his memories, I wanted to find out what he was like with restored identity and a bit of confidence. He must have led before, and probably fought in the Second Titan was if he was from Camp Jupiter.

“Hey, you’ll do fine,” I promised. “Something tells me this isn’t your first quest.”

He looked at the pictures of us all smiling. He looked like was wondering if anyone searching for him right now.

“You know who I am,” he guessed. “Don’t you?”

I gripped the hilt of my knife, Kleftis. I looked for a chair to sit on, but of course there weren’t any, anything to delay the answer. “Honestly, Jason, I might. There’s… I have a theory and I hope to the gods I’m wrong. I could be.” That obviously didn’t make him feel over the moon, but he seemed to appreciate the honesty, “My best guess, you’re not meant to be here. But that doesn’t mean you don’t _belong_ here.”

“The first thing Chiron said to me,” Jason remembered, “was you should be dead.”

“That could be why,” I said, trying to figure out an explanation except **_ROMAN_**. “The chances of you reaching… whatever age you are, I guess seventeen?" He nodded, like 'I think so'. "Anyway, chances of reaching that age without finding Camp Half-Blood or dying… well, they aren’t any really. Unless you had somewhere safe to stay… Could be you were wondering the whole time. Fighting monsters on your own terms. Like I said, it does happen. Thalia ran away when she was young. She survived on her own for years. We were with her some of the time. Even took care of Annabeth for a while. So maybe you were a loner too.”

Jason held out his arm. “And these marks?”

I glanced at the tattoos. They bothered me; the SPQR was my main evidence that he must be a roman, it was their motto after all. “Well, the eagle is the symbol of Zeus, so that makes sense. The thirteen lines — maybe they stand for years, if you’d been making them since you were three years old. SPQR — that’s the motto of the old Roman Empire: Senatus Populusque Romanus, the Senate and the People of Rome. Though why you would burn that on your own arm, I don’t know. Unless you had a really harsh Latin teacher…”

I realised the joke was terrible the second it left my mouth. _Gods_. Ethan was totally right, I needed to think a bit before I spoke.

“I, um… had a weird dream last night,” he said. From the nervousness in his voice I guessed it must have seemed like a stupid thing to say, so I tried to smile as gently as I could.

“Happens all the time to demigods,” I explained. “What did you see?”

He told me about wolves and a ruined house and two rock spires. The more Jason spoke the more worried I got, he was the son of Zeus so obviously he was powerful, but all this made him seem really intimidating – at least to an enemy, which was unfortunate because if he was Roman that enemy could quickly become Camp Half Blood.

“You don’t remember where this house is?” I asked.

Jason shook his head. “But I’m sure I’ve been there before.”

“Redwoods,” I mused. “Could be northern California. And the she-wolf… I’ve heard about goddesses, spirits, and monsters my whole life, but no Lupa.” That was true at least, I had no idea who she was.

“She said the enemy was a ‘her.’ I thought maybe it was Hera, but—”

“I wouldn’t trust Hera, but I don’t think she’s the enemy. And that thing rising out of the earth—”I said. “You’ve got to stop it.” I thought of my dream again. _I am everything_ the woman had said – could she really be…?

“You know what it is, don’t you?” he asked. “Or at least, you’ve got a guess. I saw your face last night at the campfire. You looked like it was suddenly dawning on you.”

I hesitated. “Jason, the thing about prophecies… the more you know, the more you try to change them, and that can be disastrous. Chiron believes it’s better that you find your own path, find out things in your own time. If he’d told me everything he knew about the future before my first quest… I wouldn’t have gone through with it. For this quest, it could even more important.”

“That bad, huh?”

“Not if it succeeds. At least… I hope not.”

“But I don’t even know where to start. Where are we supposed to go?”

“Follow the monsters,” I suggested. “Things seem to fall into place that way.”

Jason thought about that.

“Okay,” he said. “How do we find storm winds?”

“Asking a wind god is always a good place to start,” I advised, “Aeolus is the master of all the winds, but he’s a little… unpredictable. No one finds him unless he wants to be found. I’d try one of the four seasonal wind gods that work for Aeolus. The nearest one, the one who has the most dealings with heroes, is Boreas, the North Wind.”

“So if I looked him up on Google maps—”

“Oh, he’s not hard to find,” I promised, grinning. “He settled in North America like all the other gods. So of course he picked the oldest northern settlement, about as far north as you can go.”

“Maine?” Jason guessed.

I shook my head. “Further.”

“Canada,” he decided. “Quebec.”

I grinned. “I hope you speak French.”

Jason’s skin sparked.

Quebec — at least now we had a goal. Find the North Wind, track down the storm spirits, find out who they worked for and where that ruined house was. Free Hera. All in five days. Cake. We’d totally do this.

“Thanks, Clara.” He looked at the photo booth pictures still in his hand. “So, um… you said it was dangerous being a child of Zeus. What ever happened to Thalia?”

“Oh, she’s fine,” I assured him, smiling at the thought of her. “She became a Hunter of Artemis — one of the handmaidens of the goddess. They roam around the country killing monsters. We don’t see them at camp very often.”

Jason glanced over at the huge statue of Zeus. It was easy to understand why Thalia had slept in the alcove. It was the only place in the cabin not in Hippie Zeus’s line of sight. And even that hadn’t been enough. She’d chosen to follow Artemis and be part of a group rather than stay in this cold drafty temple alone with her twenty-foot-tall dad — Jason’s dad — glowering down at her. Jason looked more depressed the longer he looked at it.

“Who’s the other kid in the photo?” he asked. “The sandy-haired guy.”

I traced the photo’s edge with my index finger. Touchy subject.

I never wanted to talk about Luke; no one at Camp understood properly, they thought he was evil or they hated what he did. Jason wouldn’t have had time to be told about him, and he didn’t seem like the type of guy to insult my dead brother to my face regardless.

“That’s Luke,” I said quietly. “He’s dead now.”

Jason looked straight at me. For a split second, I thought he was able to see straight through me, but to my eternal gratitude, he just reached over and squeezed my shoulder instead of asking me more about Luke. The point of contact burned, but at least I wasn't bawling.

Jason removed his hand, making my shoulder feel like it'd been drenched with ice water, and focused on Thalia again. “How old is she now?” he asked.

“Hard to say. She was a tree for a while. Now she’s immortal.”

“What?”

His expression was _amazing_. It made me burst out laughing even though I still kind if wanted to cry. If my laugh sound a little strange, he didn’t comment. “Don’t worry. It’s not something all children of Zeus go through. It’s a long story, but… well, she was out of commission for a long time. If she’d aged regularly, she’d be in her twenties now, but she still looks the same as in that picture, like she’s about… well, about seventeen or so?”

“What’s her last name?”

I shifted slightly from my left to my right. “She didn’t use a last name, really. If she had to, she’d use her mom’s or… but, anyway, they didn’t get along. Thalia ran away when she was pretty young.”

Jason waited. Stubborn git. He looked at me, his eyes were icy blue, but they felt searing. If I lied, I could tell he’d know which shook me, apart from Luke and Thalia, no one could really tell for sure.

“Grace,” I said at last. “Thalia Grace.”

Jason’s face dropped. The picture fluttered to the floor.

“You okay?” I asked. He was silent, but I could tell his mind was working at a thousand miles an hour. “What is it?” I pressed, even though I knew the answer. Apparently, the woman had been telling the truth. That… that raised a lot of questions – and even more problems.

“You have to swear not to tell anyone else,” he said, sudden and intense.

“Jason—”

“Swear it,” he urged. “Until I figure out what’s going on, what this all means—” He rubbed the burned tattoos on his forearm. “You have to keep a secret.”

I hesitated. “All right. Until you tell me it’s okay, I won’t share what you say with anyone else. I swear on the River Styx.”

Thunder rumbled, even louder than usual for the cabin. Jason picked up the photo from the floor. “My last name is Grace,” he said. “This is my sister.”

_Jason Grace has forgotten. He'll remember too._ The woman had said.

“You… Jesus _Christ_ , you’re…?” I paused, tucked an errant curl behind my ear and collected myself again. “Thalia, she mentioned a brother. Jay – that was all she said. And she never talked about it much. Only told Luke and me after we’d been together for a year or so.”

_“Come on then,” Luke baited her, “I told you!” Thalia laughed and shoved him hard in the shoulder. He rocked forward but managed to stop himself falling out of his swing at the last moment._

_We didn’t usually spend time like this, messing around in parks, but the sun was burning too hot to do anything productive, so we’d grabbed our backpacks and decided to chill out at the small playground, since it was right next to Sleepy Hollow School we probably weren’t meant to be there, but we weren’t meant to be on the run either, so picking our battles would have been a good idea._

_Shaking her head, Thalia leaned back on her swing and closed her eyes._

_Luke was still watching her, he always was. He watched over all of us, kept us safe and everything, but he watched Thalia_ a lot, _I think he loved her, but I couldn’t be sure. I wasn’t really sure what love was when it was like that. I’d asked them when we were in Wisconsin and Luke had told me he’d explain when I was older and Thalia had called me adorable until I pointed out I’d only asked because I thought she fancied Luke then she threw snow in my face. He smiled gently at her, but stuck his tongue out the moment she opened her eyes._

_“I can’t remember!” She laughed, which made Luke and I laugh too._

_“Everyone remembers!” I said, looking up from the random patterns I’d been drawing in the dried, dusty mud with a twig._

_Thalia kicked up a little dust at me teasingly, still laughing. “I guess…” She said finally sounding a little sad. She scuffed her shoes along the ground. “No, really, I don’t know.”_

_“How?” Luke asked, not frustrated but like he was desperate for an answer. “Like, what did you do to stay sane?” I understood what he meant; the tradition of going to MacDonald’s for a milkshake every Sunday was the only good thing about living with Mom. Well, that and Tori._

_Thalia shrugged. “Look, if I tell you, you gotta promise not to bring it up again.” She commanded._

_Luke and I both nodded. “Yeah, Thals.” I said as Luke promised her._

_“My little brother,” Well that was new, “and I would go round to the park and stuff. I taught him how to ride a bike.” She told us._

_Thalia didn’t really talk about her family. We knew her Mom used to be in films, her Dad was Zeus and her Mom couldn’t cope after her left but other than that we didn’t know much. I wondered if her Mom couldn’t cope the same way that our Mom couldn’t – if she’d gone all crazy and stuff but I didn’t ask. Crazy Moms wasn’t really the kind of thing any of us wanted to talk about._

_“What was his name?” I asked, apparently figuring that was the most important thing. Luke looked at me funny and Thalia laughed but it kind of sounded like a sob._

_“Jay,” She said, which Luke and I could both tell wasn’t the complete truth, but we let it go. We’d only said 'Tori’ never Victoria, so it wasn’t like we would’ve had much of a leg to stand on. “He was about a half a year older than you, Clar.” Thalia expanded, ruffling my hair, which must have been pretty gross because we hadn’t been able to wash properly in a while. “He tried to eat a stapler once. Mom was so cross, but we went to the park after. Even though it was the wrong day.”_

_Thalia was talking strangely, like she wasn’t really paying attention – like she wasn’t really here._

_“I don’t know what happened to him,” She said, looking Luke in the eyes for the first time since she’d started talking, “Not like with Tori.” It seemed like kind of a low blow, but she was obviously upset so it wasn’t that big a deal._

_“Alright,” Luke snapped, obviously upset Thalia had mentioned Tori, “Sorry I asked.”_

_It was a little petty, I thought, but then, Luke could be sometimes. I don’t think it was a bad thing, exactly, nothing Luke did was – he was the best brother I could ever imagine. I wondered what Jason was like, was he a good brother too? I mean, obviously not as good as Luke, but still. Would be protect Thalia the way Luke protected me?_

_I knew Luke would do anything to protect Thalia and me, I knew about the gun in his bag that was supposed to be a secret (he’d stolen it from a cop as we ran away from New Orleans). There were only a few bullets but I didn’t doubt Luke’s ability to use them one bit. His golf club was lying between him and Thalia and that I’d seen him use._

_When we’d first been on the streets, just a few months and barely out of Louisiana, we’d been sleeping in an alleyway when an older man with a stringy red beard had said he’d give us a place to sleep for the night. We’d both been cautious but gone with him anyway._

_His apartment was cramped. I’d clung to Luke’s arm, an awful feeling in my stomach, though I couldn’t deny how good it felt to be out of the snow. He’d shown us around, smiling the whole time and offered us things to eat and drink._

_We were both so hungry that sense must have abandoned us, because we took it. Soon after we started to fall asleep, even though adrenaline should’ve kept us awake. He made us go in separate rooms too, which we only agreed to because we were so tired. I remember thinking I was lucky because I got the bed and Luke was sleeping on the sofa. I didn’t get to say goodnight to him, because he was out before his head hit the cushion._

_When I’d got into the bed, the man, Craig, had pulled the covers over me even though I said I could do it myself. He sat down in a chair in the corner and when I asked him why, he said that he wouldn’t leave a little girl without a man to look after her._

_That night, I slept so deeply I didn’t even dream. Well, actually I didn’t get a proper dream. All I remember is a pretty lady in my head held my hand and told me to scream as loudly as I could. All at once, it was like a bucket of ice water had been poured over me (like Tori had done to Luke and me as a joke one morning when we couldn’t afford the hot water anymore) and I jerked awake. Not completely sure why for a moment, and then very sure why, I’d followed the lady’s instructions._

_He had one of his hands in my jeans and one up the front of my shirt. I didn’t know what he was doing, but I was terrified. I screamed, and Luke slammed the door open in a second. He’d picked up one of Craig’s golf clubs and he smacked it down on the back of Craig’s head so hard I heard something crack. Luke didn’t stop either. Over and over he slammed the gold club onto Craig’s head and chest. Even though he was still quite small, Craig hadn’t stood a chance against Luke._

_Luke hadn’t stopped until Craig stopped breathing._

_Then, he’d wiped his hands down on his shirt and gave me a hug, tightly, on the bed until we both stopped crying._

_After a while, we looked around his apartment, and found some horrible things. Pictured of kids like us (which we left scattered around the apartment in case the cops showed up), things Luke said were toys but didn’t look like toys to me and fluffy pink handcuffs. We’d stolen from him too: money, knives, food, bottles and, on impulse, a camera._

_I wanted to ask Thalia if she’d have done the same for Jay, but the words choked me. I hadn’t thought about Craig for a while._

_I shrugged and went back to drawing in the dirt, even though the sun no longer felt warm on my skin – I just felt exposed._

Then the doors of the cabin burst open. I was pulled out of the memories, saddened beyond belief and feeling completely off kilter. Half a dozen campers spilled in, led by Annabeth. “Hurry!” She said, and neither Jason nor I could tell if her expression was excitement or fear.

“The dragon is back.”

Today wasn’t gonna be any better than yesterday, was it?


	9. nine | traitors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "There's got to be more to Aphrodite than this."

**ix**

**piper**

**December, 2015**

I woke up and immediately grabbed a mirror. There were plenty of those in the Aphrodite cabin. Sitting up on my bunk, I looked at my reflection and groaned.

Aphrodite’s– Mom’s blessing was still there.

Last night after the campfire, I’d tried everything. I messed up my hair, washed the makeup off my face, cried to make my eyes red. Nothing worked. My hair popped back to perfection. The magic makeup reapplied itself. My eyes refused to get puffy or bloodshot.

I would’ve changed clothes, but I had nothing to change into. The other Aphrodite campers offered me some (laughing behind their hands), but each outfit was even more fashionable and ridiculous than what I had on.

Now, after a horrible night’s sleep, still no change.

I normally looked like a zombie in the morning, but my hair was styled like a supermodel’s and my skin was unnaturally smooth. Even that horrible zit at the base of my nose, which I’d had for so many days I’d started to call it Bob, had disappeared which was probably the only upside.

I growled in frustration and raked my fingers through my hair. No use. The do just popped back into place. I looked like Cherokee Barbie.

From across the cabin, Drew called, “Oh, honey, it won’t go away.” Her voice dripped with false sympathy. “Mom’s blessing will last at least another day. Maybe a week if you’re lucky.”

I gritted my teeth. “A week?”

The other Aphrodite kids — about dozen girls and five guys — smirked and snickered at my discomfort. I knew I should play cool, not let them get under my skin, I’d dealt with shallow, popular kids plenty of times. But this was different. These were my brothers and sisters, even if I had nothing in common with them, and how Aphrodi–Mom had managed to have so many kids so close in age… Never mind. I didn’t want to know.

“Don’t worry, hon.” Drew blotted her fluorescent lipstick. “You’re thinking you don’t belong here? We couldn’t agree more. Isn’t that right, Mitchell?”

One of the guys flinched. “Um, yeah. Sure.” I hadn't really clocked him before, but Mitchell was tall, with red hair and a thin face. He looked incredibly uncomfortable.

“Mmm-hmm.” Drew took out her mascara and checked her lashes. Everyone else watched, not daring to speak. “So anyways, people, fifteen minutes until breakfast. The cabin’s not going to clean itself! Mitchell, I think you’ve learned your lesson. Right, sweetie? So you’re both on garbage patrol just for today, mm-kay? Show Piper how it’s done, ’cause I have a feeling she’ll have that job soon — if she survives her quest. Now, get to work, everybody! It’s my bathroom time!”

Everybody started rushing around, making beds and folding clothes, while Drew scooped up her makeup kit, hair dryer, and brush and marched into the bathroom.

Someone inside yelped, and a girl about eleven was kicked out, hastily wrapped in towels with shampoo still in her hair.

The door slammed shut, and the girl started to cry. A couple of older campers comforted her and wiped the bubbles out of her hair.

“Seriously?” I said to no one in particular. “You let Drew treat you like this?”

A few kids shot me nervous looks, like they might actually agree, but they said nothing.

The campers kept working, though I couldn’t see why the cabin needed much cleaning. It was a life-size dollhouse, with pink walls and white window trim. The lace curtains were pastel blue and green, which of course matched the sheets and feather comforters on all the beds. Obviously.

The guys had one row of bunks separated by a curtain, but their section of the cabin was just as neat and orderly as the girls’. Something was definitely unnatural about that. I’d only been in Leo and Jason’s – well just Leo’s – dorm room once, but there had barely been a square inch on Leo’s side of the room that was covered with _stuff_.

Every camper had a wooden camp chest at the foot of their bunk with their name painted on it, and I guessed that the clothes in each chest were neatly folded and colour coordinated. The only bit of individualism was how the campers decorated their private bunk spaces. Each had slightly different pictures tacked up of whatever celebrities they thought were hot. A few had personal photos, too, but most were actors or singers or whatever.

I hoped I wouldn’t see The Poster. It had been almost a year since the movie, and I thought by now surely everyone had torn down those old tattered advertisements and tacked up something newer. But no such luck. I spotted one on the wall by the storage closet, in the middle of a collage of famous heartthrobs.

The title was lurid red: king of Sparta. Under that, the poster showed the leading man — a three-quarters shot of bare-chested bronze flesh, with ripped pectorals and six-pack abs. He was clad in only a Greek war kilt and a purple cape, sword in hand. He looked like he’d just been rubbed in oil, his short black hair gleaming and rivulets of sweat pouring off his rugged face, those dark sad eyes facing the camera as if to say, I will kill your men and steal your women! Ha-ha!

It was the most ridiculous poster of all time. Dad and I had had a good laugh over it the first time we saw it. Then the movie made a bajillion dollars. The poster graphic popped up everywhere. I couldn’t get away from it at school, walking down the street, even online. It became The Poster, the most embarrassing thing in my life. And yeah, it was a picture of my dad.

I turned away so no one would think I was staring at it – ew. Maybe when everyone went to breakfast I could take it down and they wouldn’t notice.

I tried to look busy, but I didn’t have any extra clothes to fold. I straightened my bed, then realized the top blanket was the one Clara had wrapped around my shoulders last night. I picked it up and pressed it to my face, miserable and really, really wanting a hug. It smelled of wood smoke. Clara and Jason were the only people who’d been genuinely nice to me after the claiming, like they cared about how I felt, not just about my stupid new clothes, even if Jason looked uncomfortable (although, it could have been because Drew was still trying to flirt with him).

“’Scuse me,” said a voice by my feet, I jumped a little and looked down. The garbage patrol guy, Mitchell, was crawling around on all fours, picking up chocolate wrappers and crumpled notes from under the bunk beds. Apparently the Aphrodite kids weren’t one hundred percent neat freaks after all.

I knelt next to Mitchell to help him pick up the last few wrappers. “What’d you do to make Drew mad?”

He glanced over at the bathroom door to make sure it was still closed. “Last night, after you were claimed, I said you might not be so bad.”

It wasn’t much of a compliment, but I was stunned. An Aphrodite kid had actually stood up for me?

“Thanks,” I said, sincerely.

Mitchell shrugged. “Yeah, well. See where it got me. But for what it’s worth, welcome to Cabin Ten.”

A girl with blond pigtails and braces raced up to us with a pile of clothes in her arms. She looked around furtively like she was delivering nuclear materials.

“I brought you these,” she whispered.

“Piper, meet Lacy,” Mitchell said, still crawling around on the floor.

“Hi,” Lacy said breathlessly. “You can change clothes. The blessing won’t stop you. This is just, you know, a backpack, some rations, ambrosia and nectar for emergencies, some jeans, a few extra shirts, and a warm jacket. The boots might be a little snug. But—well—we took up a collection. Good luck on your quest!”

Lacy dumped the things on my bed and started to hurry away, but I caught her arm as gently as I could. “Hold on. At least let me thank you! Why are you rushing off?”

Lacy looked like she might shake apart from nervousness. “Oh, well—”

“Drew might find out,” Mitchell explained.

“I might have to wear the shoes of shame!” Lacy gulped.

“The what?” I asked incredulous.

Lacy and Mitchell both pointed to a black shelf mounted in the corner of the room, like an altar. Displayed on it were a hideous pair of orthopaedic nurse’s shoes, bright white with thick soles.

“I had to wear them for a week once,” Lacy whimpered. “They don’t go with anything!”

“Same," Mitchell nodded, "And there’re worse punishments,” he warned. “Drew can charmspeak, see? Not many Aphrodite kids have that power; but if she tries hard enough, she can get you to do some pretty embarrassing things. She even made Clara tell Percy-" He trailed off abruptly, almost scowling before he caught himself. "Never mind. Piper, you’re the first person I’ve seen in a long time who is able to resist her.”

“Charmspeak…” I remembered last night, the way the crowd at the campfire had swayed back and forth between Drew’s opinion and mine. “You mean, like, you could talk someone into doing things. Or … giving you things. Like a car?”

“Oh, don’t give Drew any ideas!” Lacy gasped.

“But yeah," Mitchell said, “She could do that.”

“So that’s why she’s head counsellor,” I said. “She convinced you all?”

Mitchell picked a nasty wad of gum from under someone’s bed. “Nah, she inherited the post when Silena Beauregard died in the war. Drew was second oldest. Oldest camper automatically gets the post, unless somebody with more years or more completed quests wants to challenge, in which case there’s a duel, but that hardly ever happens Or like in Hermes, where it’s Conner and Travis even though technically it’d be Clara. Anyway, we’ve been stuck with Drew in charge since August. She decided to make some, ah, changes in the way the cabin is run.”

“Yes, I did!” Suddenly Drew was there, leaning against the bunk. Lacy squeaked like a guinea pig and tried to run, but Drew put an arm out to stop her. She looked down at Mitchell. “I think you missed some trash, sweetie. You’d better make another pass.”

I glanced toward the bathroom and saw that Drew had dumped everything from the bathroom waste bin—some pretty nasty things — all over the floor.

Mitchell sat up on his haunches. He glared at Drew like he was about to attack (which I would’ve paid good money to see), but finally he snapped, “Fine.”

Drew smiled. “See, Piper, hon, we’re a good cabin here. A good family! Silena Beauregard, though … you could take a warning from her. She was secretly passing information to Kronos in the Titan War, helping the enemy.”

Drew smiled all sweet and innocent, with her glittery pink makeup and her blow-dried hair lush and smelling like nutmeg. She looked like any popular teenage girl from any high school. But her eyes were as cold as steel. I got the feeling Drew was looking straight into my soul, pulling out my secrets.

_Helping the enemy._

“Oh, none of the other cabins talk about it,” Drew confided. “They act like Silena Beauregard was a hero.” My mind flashed back to Clara’s words ‘ _She died a hero.’_

“She sacrificed her life to make things right,” Mitchell grumbled. “She was a hero.”

“Mmm-hmm,” Drew said. “Another day on garbage patrol, Mitchell. But anyways, Silena lost track of what this cabin is about. We match up cute couples at camp! Then we break them apart and start over! It’s the best fun ever. We don’t have any business getting involved in other stuff like wars and quests. I certainly haven’t been on any quests. They’re a waste of time!”

Lacy raised her hand nervously. “But last night you said you wanted to go on a—”

Drew glared at her, and Lacy’s voice died.

“She wanted to make out with Jason,” Mitchell scoffed, “That’s all.”

“Most of all,” Drew continued after shooting Mitchell a poisonous look, “we certainly don’t need our image tarnished by spies, do we, Piper?”

I tried to answer, but I couldn’t. There was no way Drew could know about my dreams or my dad’s kidnapping, was there?

“Clara told me she was a hero.” I blurted out, the mood of the cabin stilled. Mitchell and Lacy looked over at Drew in concern. Mitchell swallowed hard.

“Uh, Piper, maybe…” He started but trailed off as Drew sent him a glare, I realised I’d touched on a sore topic.

“Clara…” Drew started, smiling maliciously, “Clara said that because she was working for the enemy too.” I felt my blood go cold. “Her brother, Luke, was the one who started the whole thing.” She explained. “He wanted to tear Olympus down and raise Kronos as king.” Mitchell and Lacy had a sudden interest in their feet. “Clara agreed with him, she wanted Olympus destroyed, she wanted the Gods ripped from their thrones and obliterated. She stayed with Luke for years while he started killing.”

“What about-” Lacy started timidly but Drew spoke over her.

“Oh, of course Chiron told us that she was passing him information, but there was never any proof, you know? Clara got what she had coming to her though,” Drew said. “At the end of the battle Luke was killed. And, before that she disappeared. Word around Camp is that she was thrown into Tartarus for betraying Kronos – that’s why she looks so… You know, messed up.”

I thought of Clara's prominent bones and her pale, scarred skin. Her blue eyes had looked as jagged as smashed glass when she'd mentioned Tartarus. I remembered how jaded and bitter she'd sounded when she talked about the gods. As much as I hated to admit it, it didn't take much for me to believe Drew.

“No one talks about it anymore, they say she’s paid the price and everything, but if it comes to war again I wouldn’t put it past her to help the enemy.”

“Drew, that’s enough.” Mitchell snapped, his eyes gleamed in anger.

“Of course you’d stand up for her,” Drew scowled. “We were all surprised you didn’t go with her.” Mitchell's fingers jumped, and I got the impression he had to hold himself back from hitting Drew.

“What Luke and Clara tried to do was wrong,” Mitchell said. “They were messed up to even try, but she’s lost everything, I think that’s enough punishment.”

We were quite for a minute, Mitchell's words had hit hard. Part of me was desperate to find out what Clara and Luke had actually done, but mostly, I felt sorry for her. Since I arrived, she’d been nothing but kind to me, maybe I didn’t know enough to judge properly, but I didn’t think she deserved that.

“It’s too bad you won’t be around to find out,” Drew sighed. “But if you survive your little quest, don’t worry, I’ll find somebody to match up with you. Maybe one of those gross Hephaestus guys. Or Clovis? He’s pretty repulsive.” Drew looked me over with a mix of pity and disgust. “Honestly, I didn’t think it was possible for Aphrodite to have an ugly child, but… who was your father? Was he some sort of mutant, or—”

“Tristan McLean,” I snapped, hating myself the moment the name was out of my mouth. I never, ever played the 'famous dad' card. But Drew had driven me over the edge. “My dad’s Tristan McLean.”

The stunned silence was gratifying for a few seconds, but I felt ashamed of myself. Everybody turned and looked at The Poster, my dad flexing his muscles for the whole world to see.

“Oh my god!” half the girls screamed at once.

“Sweet!” a guy said. “The dude with the sword who killed that other dude in that movie?” _Mood, honestly_.

“He is so hot for an old guy,” a girl said, and then she blushed. “I mean I’m sorry. I know he’s your dad. That’s so weird!”

“It’s weird, all right,” I agreed, trying to be friendly.

“Do you think you could get me his autograph?” another girl asked.

I forced a smile. I couldn’t say, if my dad survives....

“Yeah, no problem,” I managed instead.

The girl squealed in excitement, and more kids surged forward, asking a dozen questions at once.

“Have you ever been on the set?”

“Do you live in a mansion?”

“Do you have lunch with movie stars?”

“Have you had your rite of passage?”

That one caught me off guard. “Rite of what?” I asked.

The girls and guys giggled and shoved each other around like this was an embarrassing topic.

“The rite of passage for an Aphrodite child,” one explained. “You get someone to fall in love with you. Then you break their heart. Dump them. Once you do that, you’ve proven yourself worthy of Aphrodite.”

I stared at the crowd to see if they were joking. “Break someone’s heart on purpose? That’s terrible!”

The others looked confused.

“Why?” a guy asked.

“Oh my god!” a girl said. “I bet Aphrodite broke your dad’s heart! I bet he never loved anyone again, did he? That’s so romantic! When you have your rite of passage, you can be just like Mom!”

“Forget it!” I yelled, a little louder than I’d intended. The other kids backed away. “I’m not breaking somebody’s heart just for a stupid rite of passage!”

Which of course gave Drew a chance to take back control. _Well done me, brilliantly thought out_. “Well, there you go!” she cut in. “Silena said the same thing. She broke the tradition, fell in love with that Beckendorf boy, and stayed in love. If you ask me, that’s why things ended tragically for her.”

“That’s not true!” Lacy squeaked, but Drew glared at her, and she immediately melted back into the crowd.

“Hardly matters,” Drew continued, “because, Piper, hon, you couldn’t break anyone’s heart anyway. And this nonsense about your dad being Tristan McLean — that’s so begging for attention.”

Several of the kids blinked uncertainly.

“You mean he’s not her dad?” one asked.

Drew rolled her eyes. “Please. Now, it’s time for breakfast, people, and Piper here has to start that little quest. So let’s get her packed and get her out of here!”

Drew broke up the crowd and got everyone moving. She called them “hon” and “dear,” but her tone made it clear she expected to be obeyed. Mitchell and Lacy helped me pack. They even guarded the bathroom while I went in and changed into a better traveling outfit. The hand-me-downs weren’t fancy — thank god — just well-worn jeans, a T-shirt, a comfortable winter coat, and hiking boots that fit perfectly. I strapped my dagger, Katoptris, to my belt.

When I came out, I felt almost normal again. The other campers were standing at their bunks while Drew came around and inspected. I turned to Mitchell and Lacy and mouthed, Thank you. Mitchell nodded grimly. Lacy flashed a full-braces smile. Somehow, I doubted Drew had ever thanked them for anything. I also noticed that the King of Sparta poster had been wadded up and thrown in the trash. Drew’s orders, no doubt. Even though I had wanted to take the poster down myself, now I was totally steamed.

When Drew spotted me, she clapped in mock applause. “Very nice! Our little quest girl all dressed in Dumpster clothes again. Now, off you go! No need to eat breakfast with us. Good luck with… whatever. Bye!”

I shouldered my bag, feeling everyone else’s eyes on my back as I walked to the door. I could just leave and forget about it. That would’ve been the easy thing. What did I care about this cabin, these shallow kids?

Except that some of them had tried to help me. Some of them had even stood up to Drew for me.

I turned at the door. “You know, you all don’t have to follow Drew’s orders.”

The other kids shifted. Several glanced at Drew, but she looked too stunned to respond.

“Umm,” one managed, “she’s our head counsellor.”

“She’s a tyrant,” I replied. “You can think for yourselves. There’s got to be more to Aphrodite than this.”

“More than this,” one kid echoed.

“Think for ourselves,” a second muttered.

“People!” Drew screeched. “Don’t be stupid! She’s charm-speaking you.”

“No,” I said. “I’m just telling the truth.”

At least, I thought that was the case. I didn’t understand exactly how this charmspeaking business worked, but I didn’t feel like I was putting any special power into my words. I didn’t want to win an argument by tricking people. That would make me no better than Drew. All I’d done was mean what I’d said. Besides, even if I tried charmspeaking, I had a feeling it wouldn’t work very well on another charmspeaker like Drew.

Drew sneered at me. “You may have a little power, Miss Movie Star. But you don’t know the first thing about Aphrodite. You have such great ideas? What do you think this cabin is about, then? Tell them. Then maybe I’ll tell them a few things about you, huh?”

I wanted to make a withering retort, the kind Clara or Leo would’ve made, but my anger turned to panic. I was a spy for the enemy, just like Silena Beauregard. An Aphrodite traitor. Did Drew know about that, or was she bluffing? Under Drew’s glare, my confidence began to crumble.

“Not this,” I managed, feeling ridiculous. “Aphrodite is not about this.”

Then I turned and left hurriedly before the others could see me blushing.

Behind me, Drew started laughing. “Not this? Hear that, people? She doesn’t have a clue!”

I promised myself I would never ever go back to that cabin. I blinked away my tears and stormed across the green, not sure where I was going — until I saw the dragon swooping down from the sky.

“Leo?” I yelled. My brain hadn’t quite caught up yet, but I was fairly sure Leo was sat on the dragon, which… _what_?

But sure enough, there he was, sitting atop a giant bronze death machine and grinning like a lunatic. I loved Leo so much, even though the situation was not one I should laugh in, I couldn’t help grinning. Even before he landed, the camp alarm went up. A conch horn blew. All the satyrs started screaming, “Don’t kill me!” Half the camp ran outside in a mixture of pyjamas and armor. The dragon set down right in the middle of the green, and Leo yelled, “It’s cool! Don’t shoot!”

Hesitantly, the archers lowered their bows. The warriors backed away, keeping their spears and swords ready. They made a loose wide ring around the metal monster. Other demigods hid behind their cabin doors or peeped out the windows. Nobody seemed anxious to get close.

I couldn’t blame them. The dragon was huge. It glistened in the morning sun like a living penny sculpture — different shades of copper and bronze — a sixty-foot-long serpent with steel talons and drill-bit teeth and glowing ruby eyes. It had bat-shaped wings twice its length that unfurled like metallic sails, making a sound like coins cascading out of a slot machine every time they flapped.

“It’s beautiful,” I muttered. The other demigods stared at me like I was insane.

The dragon reared its head and shot a column of fire into the sky. Campers scrambled away and hefted their weapons, but Leo slid calmly off the dragon’s back. He held up his hands like he was surrendering, except he still had that crazy grin on his face.

“People of Earth, I come in peace!” he shouted. He looked like he’d been rolling around in the campfire. His army coat and his face were smeared with soot. His hands were grease-stained, and he wore a new tool belt around his waist. His eyes were bloodshot. His curly hair was so oily it stuck up in porcupine quills, and he smelled strangely of Tabasco sauce. But he looked absolutely delighted. “Festus is just saying hello!”

“That thing is dangerous!” an Ares girl shouted, brandishing her spear. “Kill it now!”

“Stand down!” someone ordered.

To my surprise, it was Jason. He pushed through the crowd, flanked by Annabeth, Clara and that girl from the Hephaestus cabin, Nyssa.

Jason gazed up at the dragon and shook his head in amazement. “Leo, what have you done?”

“Found a ride!” Leo beamed. “You said I could go on the quest if I got you a ride. Well, I got you a class-A metallic flying bad boy! Festus can take us anywhere!”

“It — has wings,” Nyssa stammered. Her jaw looked like it might drop off her face. I could see Clara grinning wildly and I thought I should’ve know she would be – Vegas casinos, travelling the world and all.

“Yeah!” Leo said. “I found them and reattached them.”

“But it never had wings. Where did you find them?” Leo hesitated, and I could tell he was hiding something.

“In the woods,” he said. “Repaired his circuits, too, mostly, so no more problems with him going haywire.”

“Mostly?” Nyssa asked.

The dragon’s head twitched. It tilted to one side and a stream of black liquid — maybe oil, hopefully just oil — poured out of its ear, all over Leo.

Lovely.

“Just a few kinks to work out,” Leo said.

“But how did you survive?” Nyssa was still staring at the creature in awe. “I mean, the fire breath…”

“I’m quick,” Leo said. “And lucky. Now, am I on this quest, or what?” I wasn’t stupid, I knew Leo wasn’t telling the whole truth, but at the same time, I got why he wouldn’t want to spill his secrets in front of the whole camp.

Jason raised an eyebrow. “You named him Festus? You know that in Latin, ‘Festus’ means ‘happy’? You want us to ride off to save the world on Happy the Dragon?”

The dragon twitched and shuddered and flapped his wings. Clara grinned widely, but I couldn’t smile; Drew’s words rang in my ears.

“That’s a yes, bro!” Leo said. “Now, um, I’d really suggest we get going, guys. I already picked up some supplies in the — um, in the woods. And all these people with weapons are making Festus nervous.”

Jason frowned. “But we haven’t planned anything yet. We can’t just—”

“Go,” Annabeth said. She was the only one, apart from Clara but she was a little crazy, who didn’t look nervous at all. Her expression was sad and wistful, like this reminded her of better times. “Jason, you’ve only got three days until the solstice now, and you should never keep a nervous dragon waiting. This is certainly a good omen. Go!”

Jason nodded. Then he smiled at me. “You ready?”

I looked at the bronze dragon wings shining against the sky, and those talons that could’ve shredded me to pieces.

“You bet,” I said.

“I’m ready too, if you’re interested,” Clara told us dryly as she flew up to sit the dragon’s large metallic body.

Alright then. Let’s go ride Happy the Dragon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I just wanted to note down something I've been thinking about - Drew. So... I mean, assuming she fought in the war she must have been dealing with trauma in TLH and had just lost a sister, so I do kind of feel sorry for her (and kind of agree that she has a good reason to hate Clara, but I promise that will get explained later).


	10. ten | happy the dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I was pretty sure he would never trust me again."

**x**

**clara**

**December, 2015**

Flying on the dragon was the most amazing experience ever, which was saying something, because flying on a Pegasus was _awesome_.

Up high, the air was freezing cold; but the dragon’s metal hide generated so much heat, it was like we were flying in a protective bubble. Talk about seat warmers. And the grooves in the dragon’s back were designed like high-tech saddles, so we weren’t uncomfortable at all. Leo showed us how to hook our feet in the chinks of the armor, like in stirrups, and use the leather safety harnesses cleverly concealed under the exterior plating, nice touches.

We sat single file: Leo in front, then Piper, then me, then Jason. I was super aware of Jason sat behind me; I didn’t want him to feel all the awkward bones and angry scars on my body.

Leo used the reins to steer the dragon into the sky like he’d been doing it all his life. The metal wings worked perfectly, and soon the coast of Long Island was just a hazy line behind us. We shot over Connecticut and climbed into the grey winter clouds.

Leo grinned back at us. “Cool, right?”

“What if we get spotted?” Piper asked.

“The Mist,” Jason said. “It keeps mortals from seeing magic things. If they spot us, they’ll probably mistake us for a small plane or something.”

Piper glanced over her shoulder at the same time as I looked back. “You sure about that?”

“No,” he admitted. Then I saw he was clutching the photo of Thalia in his hand.

“It will,” I said, twisting. “Jason’s right, we’ll look like a plane or a helicopter. Something like that.”

Leo grinned, “Look at us travelling in our own private jet.” I laughed back.

“First class with complimentary champagne.” He burst out laughing too, slightly hysterically and I wondered just how tired he really was. 

Piper gave Jason a quizzical look, but he blushed and put the photo in his pocket. “We’re making good time. Probably get there by tonight.”

I really hoped there was a proper past for Jason to remember, he was a nice guy and he deserved to have someone real – someone who would search for him.

“Where are we heading?” Piper asked, not sounding too upset even though Jason hadn’t clarified that the photo wasn’t of a girlfriend. Maybe Piper’s feelings were a trick of the mist? It would make sense that they’d fade as it became clearer that Jason hadn’t ever attended Wilderness School.

“To find the god of the North Wind,” Jason said. “And chase some storm spirits.”

There were a few minutes of silence where I came to a two conclusions. A) Jason was a dramatic little shit and b) Leo hadn’t slept in at least twenty four hours, probably closer to thirty, which was worrying since he was the one driving.

“Shut up, me,” Leo said aloud. My heart sank.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing,” he said. “Long night. I think I’m hallucinating. It’s cool. I laughed despite myself. Leo’s weird sense of humour made me laugh, but I _was_ nervous. “Just joking.” Leo said, then changed the subject quickly. “So what’s the plan, bro? You said something about catching wind, or breaking wind, or something?”

As we flew over New England, Jason laid out the game plan: First, find Boreas and grill him for information—

“His name is Boreas?” Leo asked (of course he did). “What is he, the God of Boring?”

Second, Jason continued, we had to find those Venti that had attacked them at the Grand Canyon—

“Can we just call them storm spirits?” Leo asked. “Venti makes them sound like evil espresso drinks.”

“To be fair,” I said, “Starbucks has some pretty dodgy barristers.” Piper poked me in the ribs, but I could see her smiling.

And third, Jason finished, we had to find out who the storm spirits worked for, so we could find Hera and free her.

“So you want to look for Dylan, the nasty storm dude, on purpose,” Leo said. “The guy who threw me off the skywalk and sucked Coach Hedge into the clouds.” I tried not to giggle at his phrasing.

“That’s about it,” Jason said. “Well… there may be a wolf involved, too. But I think she’s friendly. She probably won’t eat us, unless we show weakness.”

“Comforting.” I commented.

Jason told us about his dream — the big nasty mother wolf and a burned-out house with stone spires growing out of the swimming pool.

“Uh-huh,” Leo said. “But you don’t know where this place is.”

“Nope,” Jason admitted.

“There’s also giants,” Piper added. “The prophecy said the giants’ revenge.”

“Hold on,” Leo said. “Giants — like more than one? Why can’t it be just one giant who wants revenge?”

“I don’t think so,” Piper said. “I remember in some of the old Greek stories, there was something about an army of giants.”

“Great,” Leo muttered. “Of course, with our luck, it’s an army. So you know anything else about these giants? Didn’t you do a bunch of myth research for that movie with your dad?”

“Your dad’s an actor?” Jason asked.

Leo laughed. “I keep forgetting about your amnesia. Heh. Forgetting about amnesia. That’s funny. But yeah, her dad’s Tristan McLean.”

“Uh — sorry, what was he in?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Piper said quickly. “The giants — well, there were lots of giants in Greek mythology. But if I’m thinking of the right ones, they were bad news. Huge, almost impossible to kill. They could throw mountains and stuff. I think they were related to the Titans. They rose from the earth after Kronos lost the war—I mean the first Titan war, thousands of years ago—and they tried to destroy Olympus. If we’re talking about the same giants—”

“Chiron said it was happening again,” Jason remembered. “The last chapter. That’s what he meant. No wonder he didn’t want us to know all the details.”

“The Camp just came out of a war, he’ll hide the truth for as long as possible so people don’t panic and get the hell out of doge.” I explained.

Leo whistled. “So… giants who can throw mountains. Friendly wolves that will eat us if we show weakness. Evil espresso drinks. Gotcha. Maybe this isn’t the time to bring up my psycho babysitter.”

“Is that another joke?” Piper asked.

Leo told us about Tía Callida, who was really Hera, and how she’d appeared to him at camp. He managed to tell us about the night his mother died, saying the machine shop collapsed. I felt so sorry for Leo as he said that, but there was nothing any of us could say to make it better. And he told us about the strange woman in earthen robes who seemed to be asleep, and seemed to know the future.

I estimated the whole state of Massachusetts passed below us before we spoke.

“That’s … disturbing,” Piper said.

“’Bout sums it up,” Leo agreed. “Thing is, everybody says don’t trust Hera. She hates demigods. And the prophecy said we’d cause death if we unleash her rage. So I’m wondering… why are we doing this?”

“She chose us,” Jason said. “All four of us. We’re the first of the eight who have to gather for the Great Prophecy. This quest is the beginning of something much bigger.”

That didn’t make any of us feel any better, but I couldn’t argue with Jason’s point. It did feel like this was the start of something huge. I didn’t want to think about who the Earth woman was, but I was quite confident I already knew. There was really only a few people she could be, and none of the options were good.

“Besides,” Jason continued, “helping Hera is the only way I can get back my memory. And that dark spire in my dream seemed to be feeding on Hera’s energy. If that thing unleashes a king of the giants by destroying Hera—”

“Not a good trade-off,” Piper agreed.

“Seems about fair,” I said quietly. Leo choked on a laugh.

“At least Hera is on our side — mostly. Losing her would throw the gods into chaos. She’s the main one who keeps peace in the family. And a war with the giants could be even more destructive than the Titan War.”

Jason nodded. “Chiron also talked about worse forces stirring on the solstice, with it being a good time for dark magic, and all — something that could awaken if Hera were sacrificed on that day. And this mistress who’s controlling the storm spirits, the one who wants to kill all the demigods—”

“Might be that weird sleeping lady,” Leo finished. “Dirt Woman fully awake? Not something I want to see.”

“But who is she?” Jason asked. “And what does she have to do with giants?”

“She…” I started, but trailed off. Piper looked at me curiously, but I just shook my head, biting my lip in worry. There was no need to make everyone panic, not until I was sure it was _her_. 

We flew in silence while Leo’s body started shaking. I really hoped it was only from the cold, but somehow I doubted it. He turned to me as best he could, “You’ve been in Camp a while haven’t you?” I nodded. “How bad do prophecies usually turn out?”

My heart dropped. _A hero’s soul, cursed blade shall reap_. “Depends,” I answered after a minute, “Sometimes things end up okay, but mostly…” I paused. “Most of the time something terrible happens.”

I could remember vividly the first time I’d ever heard Percy’s prophecy.

_The senior counsellors had gathered around the Ping-Pong table while Percy heard the prophecy from the oracle in the attic. Apparently, don't ask me why, the rec room had become the camp's informal headquarters for war councils. When Annabeth, Chiron, and Percy came in, though, it was looking more like a shouting match. I was stood in the doorway, silent as possible. My inhaler was still clutched in my hand, the toxic air in Tartarus had wreaked havoc on my throat. Every breath felt like knives were sliding around inside my neck._

Nice mental image _, I scolded myself and leant back against the doorframe in the hopes it would keep me upright._

_Clarisse was in full battle gear. Her electric spear was strapped to her back (actually, her second electric spear, since Percy had broken the first one. She called the spear "Maimer." Behind her back, everybody else called it "Lamer"). She had her boar-shaped helmet under one arm and a knife at her belt. If I got too close to her, I knew she wouldn’t hesitate to stab me._

_She was in the midst of yelling at Michael Yew, the new head counsellor for Apollo, which looked kind of funny since Clarisse was a foot taller. Michael had taken over the Apollo cabin after Lee Fletcher died in battle last summer. Michael stood four feet six (even shorter than me for Christ's sake), with another two feet of attitude. He reminded me of a ferret, with a pointy nose and scrunched-up features — either because he scowled so much or because he spent too much time looking down the shaft of an arrow._

_"It's our loot!" he yelled, standing on his tiptoes so he could get in Clarisse's face. "If you don't like it, you can kiss my quiver!"_

_Around the table, people were trying not to laugh — my half-brothers, Pollux from the Dionysus cabin, Katie Gardner from Demeter. Even Jake Mason, the hastily appointed new counsellor from Hephaestus, managed a faint smile. Only Silena Beauregard didn't pay any attention. She sat beside Clarisse and stared vacantly at the Ping-Pong net. Her eyes were red and puffy. A cup of hot chocolate sat untouched in front of her. It seemed unfair that she had to be here. I couldn't believe Clarisse and Michael standing over her, arguing about something as stupid as loot, when she'd just lost Beckendorf._

That was partly her fault _, a vicious part of my mind whispered, but I couldn't stay angry with her when she looked so upset._

_When Percy told us what happened on the Princess Andromeda I was horrified, from the way he spoke it sounded like Luke really was gone for good. Kronos had killed Beckendorf and another boy. I wasn’t sure what had happened to Ethan, but I couldn’t stop myself from hoping he was okay, even though I knew I shouldn’t._

_If she knew about everything that had happened between us, Thalia would have said I was crazy. I guess she'd be right. I shouldn't care about Ethan. I shouldn't care either way. I shouldn't._

_"STOP IT!" Percy yelled. "What are you guys doing?"_

_It was the first time I’d properly seen him since I’d been pushed in Tartarus. Since Mount St Helens had exploded and Luke had been possessed by Kronos. I couldn't quite tell how I felt looking at Percy. Before all the crazy had hit the fan, we'd been best friends. Now? Well, I was pretty sure he would never trust me again at a minimum._

_Clarisse glowered at him. "Tell Michael not to be a selfish jerk."_

_"Oh, that's perfect, coming from you," Michael said._

_"The only reason I'm here is to support Silena!" Clarisse shouted. "Otherwise I'd be back in my cabin."_

_"What are you talking about?" Percy demanded. I seconded that, I hadn’t been here in a while, but it seemed too much to imagine that Clarisse wasn’t keen on fighting anymore._

_Pollux cleared his throat. "Clarisse has refused to speak to any of us, until her, um, issue is resolved. She hasn't spoken for three days."_

_"It's been wonderful," Travis said wistfully. He glanced at me across the room and grinned, I tried to smile back, but even that movement hurt, pulling at my face like it was being ripped apart. You'd think godly ambrosia could do it's job a bit quicker than this really, but apparently not._

_"What issue?" Percy asked._

_Clarisse turned to Chiron. "You're in charge, right? Does my cabin get what we want or not?"_

_Chiron shuffled his hooves. "My dear, as I've already explained, Michael is correct. Apollo's cabin has the best claim. Besides, we have more important matters—"_

_"Sure," Clarisse snapped. "Always more important matters than what Ares needs. We're just supposed to show up and light when you need us, and not complain!"_

_"That would be nice," Connor muttered._

_Clarisse gripped her knife. "Maybe I should ask Mr. D—"_

_"As you know," Chiron interrupted, his tone slightly angry now, "our director, Dionysus, is busy with the war. He can't be bothered with this."_

_"I see," Clarisse said. "And the senior counsellors? Are any of you going to side with me?"_

_Nobody was smiling now. None of them met Clarisse's eyes._

_"Fine." Clarisse turned to Silena. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get into this when you've just lost... Anyway, I apologize. To you. Nobody else."_

_Silena didn't seem to register her words._

_Clarisse threw her knife on the Ping-Pong table. "All of you can fight this war without Ares. Until I get satisfaction, no one in my cabin is lifting a finger to help. Have fun dying."_

_The counsellors were all too stunned to say anything as Clarisse stormed out of the room._

_Finally Michael Yew said, "Good riddance."_

_"Are you kidding?" Katie Gardner protested. "This is a disaster!"_

_"She can't be serious," Travis said. "Can she?"_

_Chiron sighed. "Her pride has been wounded. She'll calm down eventually." But he didn't sound convinced._

_“There’s no hope if Ares Cabin doesn’t fight,” I said, feeling my throat sting, “Kronos has too many monsters. We’ll all die.” Chiron looked sideways at me, but he didn’t need to tell me to stay quiet, my head was pounding again and all I wanted to do was sleep._

_Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Percy and Annabeth notice me for the first time. He looked stunned and I wanted to sink into the floor – I’d seen a mirror so I knew I looked like I’d walked out of hell. My skin was still raw from Tartarus’ poisonous air and my bones stuck out starkly against my skin. I looked away from them, shame making my face flush._

_"Now," Chiron continued, "if you please, counsellors. Percy has brought something I think you should hear. Percy — the Great Prophecy." Annabeth handed him the parchment. It looked dry and old, and his fingers fumbled with the string, he finally uncurled the paper and began to read:_

_"A half-blood of the eldest dogs..."_

_"Er, Percy?" Annabeth interrupted. "That's gods. Not dogs."_

_"Oh, right," He said. Being dyslexic is one mark of a demigod, but sometimes it’s really inconvenient. The more nervous we are, the worse it tends to get. "A half-blood of the eldest gods... shall reach sixteen against all odds…"_

_He hesitated, staring at the next lines. "And see the world in endless sleep... The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap."_

_"Percy," Chiron urged. "Read the rest."_

_"A single choice shall... shall end his days... Olympus to per—pursue—"_

_"Preserve," Annabeth said gently. "It means to save."_

_"I know what it means," He grumbled. "Olympus to preserve or raze."_

_The room was silent. Finally Connor said, "Raise is good, isn't it?"_

_"Not raise," Silena said. Her voice was hollow, but I was startled to hear her speak at all. "R-a-z-e means destroy."_

_"Obliterate," Annabeth said. "Annihilate. Turn to rubble."_

_"Got it." Percy said. "Thanks."_

_Everybody was looking at him — with concern, or pity, or maybe a little fear._

_Chiron closed his eyes as if he were saying a prayer. In horse form, his head almost brushed the lights in the rec room. "You see now, Percy, why we thought it best not to tell you the whole prophecy. You've had enough on your shoulders—"_

_"Without realizing I was going to die in the end anyway?" He said. "Yeah, I get it."_

_Chiron gazed at him sadly. The guy was three thousand years old. He'd seen hundreds of heroes die. He might not like it, but he was used to it. He probably knew better than to try to reassure him._

_"Percy," Annabeth said. "You know prophecies always have double meanings. It might not literally mean you die."_

_I wanted to laugh, even though it wasn't funny. What was Annabeth trying to get at? If the prophecy was about Percy there was only one way this was going to end for him. My mind drifted to Sally Jackson and something pulled uncomfortably at my heart; she was the nicest woman on the planet, she didn't deserve the pain she'd go through if Percy died._

_"Sure," He said. "A single choice shall end his days. That has tons of meanings, right?"_

_"Maybe we can stop it," Jake Mason offered. "The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap. Maybe we could find this cursed blade and destroy it. Sounds like Kronos's scythe, right?"_

_"Perhaps we should let Percy think about these lines," Chiron said. "He needs time—"_

_"No." Percy folded up the prophecy and shoved it into his pocket. "I don't need time. If I die, I die. I can't worry about that, right?"_

_Annabeth's hands were shaking a little. She wouldn't meet his eyes._

_"Let's move on," Percy said. "We've got other problems. We've got a spy."_

_Michael Yew scowled. "A spy?"_

_He told us what had happened on the Princess Andromeda — how Kronos had known he and Beckendorf were coming, how he'd shown him the silver scythe pendant he'd used to communicate with someone at camp._

_Silena started to cry again, and Annabeth put an arm around her shoulders._

_Guilt burnt in my stomach. I looked at Chiron desperately, but I didn't know what I was meant to do. Chiron didn't meet my eyes – no one did – but I felt as though everyone in the room must have known I was hiding something. Like the guilt was branded across my face._

_"Well," Connor said uncomfortably, "we've suspected there might a spy for years, right? Somebody kept passing information to Luke — like the location of the Golden Fleece a couple of years ago. It must be somebody who knew him well."_

_Maybe subconsciously, he glanced at me. I'd known Luke better than anyone, of course, but Connor looked away quickly. "Um, I mean, it could be anybody."_

_"Yes." Katie Gardner frowned at the Stoll brothers. She'd disliked them ever since they'd decorated the grass roof of the Demeter cabin with chocolate Easter bunnies. "Like one of Luke's siblings." She looked at me too, before Michael Yew decided people were being too subtle._

_“Straight after you’ve come back and Luke already knows our plans?” He accused, pointing a finger at my face. “Seems a bit fishy! You just said we couldn’t win against him!”_

_“We can’t!” I snapped back, “And how could I have even told Kronos when I didn’t know? I’ve been in Tartarus, not here for Christ's sake.” I stepped forwards to argue with him, which I only realised was a bad idea when my legs shook._

_Annabeth clasped my elbow and pushed me towards a chair that I half collapsed into. Travis and Connor both started arguing with them. Annabeth lent next to me, rubbing a hand over my back as I started coughing and internally begging I wouldn’t cough up blood this time. That would probably freak her out a bit._

_"Stop!" Silena banged the table so hard her hot chocolate spilled. "Charlie's dead and… and you're all arguing like little kids!" She put her head down and began to sob._

_Hot chocolate trickled off the Ping-Pong table. Everybody looked ashamed._

_At least it was obvious she wasn't going to pass any more information over. She wasn't a good enough liar to fake that._

_"She's right," Pollux said at last. "Accusing each other doesn't help. We need to keep our eyes open for a silver necklace with a scythe charm. If Kronos had one, the spy probably does too."_

_Michael Yew grunted. "We need to find this spy before we plan our next operation. Blowing up the Princess Andromeda won't stop Kronos forever."_

_“I think know where the next attacks are coming,” I volunteered, hoping this wouldn't deteriorate into another 'she's a spy' thing. "He's planned to take on the gods – away from Olympus."_

_"Clara's right," Chiron nodded. "His next assault is already on the way."_

_Percy scowled. "You mean the 'bigger threat' Poseidon mentioned?"_

_Chiron and Annabeth looked at each other like, it's time._

_"Percy," Chiron said, "we didn't want to tell you until you returned to camp. You needed a break with your… mortal friends."_

_Annabeth blushed. I assumed Chiron must have meant Rachel Elizabeth Dare, but why would Annabeth be blushing? From what I could see, Annabeth's jealousy had driven her to almost kill the girl._

_"Tell me what's happened," Percy said._

_Chiron picked up a bronze goblet from the snack table. He tossed water onto the hot plate where we usually melted nacho cheese. Steam billowed up, making a rainbow in the fluorescent lights. Chiron fished a golden drachma out of his pouch, tossed it through the mist, and muttered, "O Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, show us the threat."_

_The mist shimmered. I saw the familiar image of a smouldering volcano — Mount St. Helens. As I watched, the side of the mountain exploded. Fire, ash, and lava rolled out. A newscaster's voice was saying "—even larger than last year's eruption, and geologists warn that the mountain may not be done."_

_I knew all about last year's eruption, mostly because I'd been there. But this explosion was much worse. The mountain tore itself apart, collapsing inward, and an enormous form rose out of the smoke and lava like it was emerging from a manhole. I hoped the Mist would keep the humans from seeing it clearly, because what I saw would've caused panic and riots across the entire United States._

_The giant was bigger than anything I'd ever encountered. Even my demigod eyes couldn't make out its exact form through the ash and fire, but it was vaguely humanoid and so huge it could've used the Chrysler Building as a baseball bat. The mountain shook with a horrible rumbling, as if the monster were laughing._

_"Typhon." I supplied, remembering Kronos and Ethan discussing it._

_Chiron simply nodded. "The most horrible monster of all, the biggest single threat the gods ever faced. He has been freed from under the mountain at last. But this scene is from two days ago. Here is what is happening today."_

_Chiron waved his hand and the image changed. I saw a bank of storm clouds rolling across the Midwest plains. Lightning flickered. Lines of tornadoes destroyed everything in their path — ripping up houses and trailers, tossing cars around like Matchbox toys._

_"Monumental floods," an announcer was saying. "Five states declared disaster areas as the freak storm system sweeps east, continuing its path of destruction." The cameras zoomed in on a column of storm bearing down on some Midwest city. I couldn't tell which one. Inside the storm I could see the giant—just small glimpses of his true form: a smoky arm, a dark clawed hand the size of a city block. His angry roar rolled across the plains like a nuclear blast. Other smaller forms darted through the clouds, circling the monster. I saw flashes of light, and I realized the giant was trying to swat them. I squinted and thought I saw a golden chariot flying into the blackness. Then some kind of huge bird — a monstrous owl — dived in to attack the giant._

_"Are those... the gods?" Percy said._

_"Yes, Percy," Chiron said. "They have been fighting him for days now, trying to slow him down. But Typhon is marching forward — toward New York. Toward Olympus."_

_Basically, they failed._

_"How long until he gets here?" Percy asked, sounding like he really didn't want to know the answer._

_"Unless the gods can stop him? Perhaps five days. Most of the Olympians are there… except your father, who has a war of his own to fight."_

_"But then who's guarding Olympus?"_

_I laughed humourlessly. "If Typhon gets to New York, it won't matter who's guarding Olympus."_

_"It's a trick," Percy said. "We have to warn the gods. Something else is going to happen."_

_Chiron looked at me gravely. "Something worse than Typhon? I hope not."_

_"He's right." I said miserably and Katie flinched. "Kronos has more attacks planned." Mount Tam, for instance, but I don't think he'd even decided to go through with that._

_"We have to defend Olympus," Percy insisted. "Kronos has another attack planned."_

_"He did," Travis reminded him. "But you sunk his ship."_

_Everyone was looking at Percy. They wanted some good news. They wanted to believe that at least he'd given them a little bit of hope. He hadn't, of course, the Princess was only a ploy, just an attempt by Kronos to get Camp to lower its guards._

_If I hadn't caught the knowing glace passed between Percy and Annabeth, I would've said as much. But at least they thought on the same lines, even if they weren't going to say that in front of Silena._

_"Maybe you're right," Percy said, though he was lying._

_I closed my eyes briefly and massaged my temple. How much worse could this get?_

_"Well," Chiron said, "I think that's enough for one night." He waved his hand and the steam dissipated. The stormy battle of Typhon and the gods disappeared._

_"That's an understatement," Percy muttered._

_And the war council adjourned._

No one said anything for a long time, Festus kept flying. The wind got colder, and below us snowy forests seemed to go on forever. I didn’t know exactly where Quebec was, just that it was north. Leo had told Festus to take us to the palace of Boreas, and Festus kept going north. Hopefully, the dragon knew the way, and we wouldn’t end up at the North Pole.

“Why don’t you get some sleep?” Piper said. “You were up all night.”

Leo clearly wanted to protest, but gave up the fight. “You won’t let me fall off?”

Piper patted his shoulder. “Trust me, Valdez. Beautiful people never lie.”

“Right,” he muttered and slumped forwards.


	11. eleven | fire and ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You are not their pawn, Jason. Don't let them make you into one."

**xi**

**clara**

**December, 2015**

Piper fell asleep as we flew over New Hampshire, leaving Jason and I the only ones awake. For a while, I didn't know what to say. I never usually felt uncomfortable around people, ADHD usually made me spit out whatever dumb thing I was thinking but there was something intense about Jason that gave me a filter. I should've been glad, but mostly, I was curious.

Maybe he was feeling as off kilter because he didn't say anything for a long time. Just as I'd convinced myself he wouldn't say anything at all, he asked me a question that almost stopped my heart.

"There was another war, wasn't there?"

The wind rushed against my face. I didn't answer for a second.

"Yeah," I said eventually, "Against Kronos." There was more, obviously, like the parts Luke and I had played in it, but I couldn't quite force myself to talk about that. There was something almost sacred about keeping Luke to myself, as if the more I talked about him, the more I would lose his memory.

I think Jason nodded, but I couldn't see his face. I imagined, offhandedly, he would have locked his jaw, with that quiet confidence around him. "You fought, didn't you?" He asked. He sounded almost pained, like he was on the very edge of remembering something.

"Kind of, yeah." I nodded.

"Kind of?"

"It's a long story," I said, fiddling with my necklace – not my camp beads – and blinking the icy wind out of my eyes. "Not a cheerful one." I could practically feel Jason's eyes on my back, drilling into my skin. "Do you remember any of it?"

My throat felt tight as I waited for him to say something. Part of me wanted to turn round and look at him, but I doubted I'd be able to hold the conversation if I could see his face.

"No – well – there…" Jason breathed out raggedly. I could feel the warmth of it on the back on my neck. "I know it happened. I feel like I should remember it happening – like a feeling."

I nodded, but it was an instinct reaction. The truth was, I was so far out of my depth I had no idea what to do. There was nothing I could say, nothing I could do, that would make this better. As much as I hated to admit it, there was no Annabeth around to come up with a plan that would get everyone out alive and no Percy to talk monsters in circles and kill them with their own claws or raise a hurricane. What the hell could I do compared to that?

"I think you fought in it too." I said, more to break the silence than because I thought it would be helpful. Could I say anything really helpful? "Not with us. But not with Kronos."

"The camp." Jason agreed. "I think I was with them." I could imagine that easily; Jason leading an army, calling down lightning and fighting wave after wave of monsters. The glow from war, the light reflecting off his golden blade as thunder shook the ground.

"You'll remember." I said and for once I was telling the complete truth for no other reason than I thought I should. "Hera'll give you your memories back – or we'll make her."

"Hell of a promise." Jason's voice was low, almost gentle.

The blood in my veins felt like it was burning cold. "You're not their pawn, Jason. Don't let them make you into one."

Maybe I sounded bitterer than I should have, but I couldn't help it. Taking his memory and dropping him into a quest like that was especially cruel, even for Hera.

"You're angry with them, aren't you?"

"Usually." I agreed. "That’s a long story too." I couldn't stop myself looking back at Jason, but as soon as I did, I wished I hadn't. His eyes, blue like ice, seemed like they could see straight through me.

The corner of Jason's lip quirked. He didn't drop eye contact. "Tell me sometime."

"Sure." I said, but my throat felt dry. "Sure." I turned around again, watching the New Hampshire countryside disappear underneath us and trying not to think about the searing feeling of being seen through.

* * *

By the time Piper shook Leo awake the daylight was fading. Not a good sign.

“We’re here."

Leo rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Below us, a city sat on a cliff overlooking a river. The plains around it were dusted with snow, but the city itself glowed warmly in the winter sunset. Buildings crowded together inside high walls like a medieval town. In the centre was an actual castle — at least I assumed it was a castle — with massive red brick walls and a square tower with a peaked, green gabled roof. I almost smiled, imagining the comments Annabeth would have made on its design.

“Tell me that’s Quebec and not Santa’s workshop,” Leo said.

“Yeah, Quebec City,” Piper confirmed. “One of the oldest cities in North America. Founded around sixteen hundred or so?”

Leo raised an eyebrow. “Your dad do a movie about that too?”

She made a face at him, which Leo was probably used to, but it didn’t quite work with her new glamorous makeup. “I read sometimes, okay? Just because Aphrodite claimed me, doesn’t mean I have to be an airhead.” I laughed quietly, feeling slightly guilty that I wasn’t really that worried about the outcome of the quest. I didn’t care too much if Hera died, the only thing I was really concerned about was Jason getting his memory back and he, Piper and Leo getting out of the quest alive.

“Feisty!” Leo said. “So you know so much, what’s that castle?”

“A hotel, I think.”

Leo laughed. “No way.”

But as we got closer, we saw she was right. The grand entrance was bustling with doormen, valets, and porters taking bags. Sleek black luxury cars idled in the drive. People in elegant suits and winter cloaks hurried to get out of the cold.

“The North Wind is staying in a hotel?” Leo said. “That can’t be—”

“Heads up, guys,” Jason interrupted. “We got company!”

I looked below and saw what Jason meant. Rising from the top of the tower were two winged figures — angry angels, with nasty-looking swords.

Festus obviously didn’t like the angel guys. He swooped to a halt in mid-air, wings beating and talons bared, and made a rumbling sound in his throat that made Leo shift. “Steady, boy,” He muttered.

“I don’t like this,” Jason said. “They look like storm spirits.”

I shook my head and looked closely at the approaching figures. I could tell they weren’t storm spirits, not like Dylan, but they weren’t monsters either. They looked like regular teenagers except for their icy white hair and feathery purple wings. Their bronze swords were jagged, like icicles. Their faces looked similar enough that they might’ve been brothers, but they definitely weren’t twins.

One was the size of an ox, with a bright red hockey jersey, baggy sweatpants, and black leather cleats. The guy clearly had been in too many fights, because both his eyes were black, and when he bared his teeth, several of them were missing.

The other guy looked like he’d just stepped off one of Chiron’s 1980s rock album covers — Journey, maybe, or Hall & Oates, or something even lamer. His ice-white hair was long and feathered into a mullet. He wore pointy-toed leather shoes, designer pants that were way too tight, and a god-awful silk shirt with the top three buttons open. Maybe he thought he looked like a groovy love god, but the guy couldn’t have weighed more than ninety pounds, and he had a bad case of acne.

Boreas sons, then, was my guess.

The angels pulled up in front of the dragon and hovered there, swords at the ready.

The hockey ox grunted. “No clearance.”

“’Scuse me?” Leo said.

“You have no flight plan on file,” explained the groovy love god. On top of his other problems, he had a French accent so bad Leo was sure it was fake. “This is restricted airspace.”

“Destroy them?” The ox showed off his gap-toothed grin.

The dragon began to hiss steam, ready to defend us. Jason summoned his golden sword and I slid Kleftis out of her sheath, but Leo cried, “Hold on! Let’s have some manners here, boys. Can I at least find out who has the honour of destroying me?”

“I am Cal!” the ox grunted. He looked very proud of himself, like he’d taken a long time to memorize that sentence.

“That’s short for Calais,” the love god said. “Sadly, my brother cannot say words with more than two syllables—”

“Pizza! Hockey! Destroy!” Cal offered.

“—which includes his own name,” the love god finished.

“I am Cal,” Cal repeated. “And this is Zethes! My brother!”

“Wow,” Leo said. “That was almost three sentences, man! Way to go.”

Cal grunted, obviously pleased with himself.

“Stupid buffoon,” his brother grumbled. “They make fun of you. But no matter. I am Zethes, which is short for Zethes. And the ladies there—” He winked at Piper, but the wink was more like a facial seizure. “Can call me anything they like. Perhaps she would like to have dinner with a famous demigod before we must destroy you?”

Piper made a sound like gagging on a cough drop. “That’s… a truly horrifying offer.” I ducked my head to stop Zethes and Cal seeing me giggling.

“It is no problem.” Zethes wiggled his eyebrows. “We are a very romantic people, we Boreads.”

“Your reputation precedes you.” I muttered. Piper made a sound like she almost snorted, but managed to hold back.

“Boreads?” Jason cut in. “Do you mean, like, the sons of Boreas?”

“Ah, so you’ve heard of us!” Zethes looked pleased. “We are our father’s gatekeepers. So you understand, we cannot have unauthorized people flying in his airspace on creaky dragons, scaring the silly mortal peoples.”

He pointed below, and I saw that the mortals were starting to take notice. Several were pointing up — not with alarm, yet — more with confusion and annoyance, like the dragon was a traffic helicopter flying too low. The mist really did work miracles.

“Which is sadly why, unless this is an emergency landing,” Zethes said, brushing his hair out of his acne-covered face, “we will have to destroy you painfully.”

“Destroy!” Cal agreed, with a little more enthusiasm than I thought necessary.

“Wait!” Piper said. “This is an emergency landing.”

“Awww!” Cal looked so disappointed, I almost felt sorry for him.

Zethes studied Piper, which of course he’d already been doing. “How does the pretty girl decide this is an emergency, then?”

“We have to see Boreas. It’s totally urgent! Please?” She forced a smile, which I figured must’ve been killing her; but she still had that blessing of Aphrodite thing going on, and she looked great. Something about her voice, too — I found myself believing every word. Jason was nodding, looking absolutely convinced. I nodded too, making my eyes go all round and doe like; I knew from experience that I could have the _please help me, I promise we won’t do anything wrong_ look down. It was a complete lie, of course, but they didn’t know that.

Zethes picked at his silk shirt, probably making sure it was still open wide enough. “Well … I hate to disappoint a lovely lady, but you see, my sister, she would have an avalanche if we allowed you—”

“And our dragon is malfunctioning!” Piper added. “It could crash any minute!”

Festus shuddered helpfully, then turned his head and spilled gunk out of his ear, splattering a black Mercedes in the parking lot below.

“No destroy?” Cal whimpered.

Zethes pondered the problem. Then he gave Piper another spasmodic wink. “Well, you are pretty. I mean, you’re right. A malfunctioning dragon — this could be an emergency.”

“Destroy them later?” Cal offered, which was probably as close to friendly as he ever got.

“It will take some explaining,” Zethes decided. “Father has not been kind to visitors lately. But, yes. Come, faulty dragon people. Follow us.”

The Boreads sheathed their swords and pulled smaller weapons from their belts — or at least I thought they were weapons. Then the Boreads switched them on, and I realized they were flashlights with orange cones, like the ones traffic controller guys use on a runway. Cal and Zethes turned and swooped toward the hotel’s tower.

Leo turned to us. “I love these guys. Follow them?”

Jason, Piper and I didn’t look eager.

“I guess,” Jason decided. “We’re here now. But I wonder why Boreas hasn’t been kind to visitors.”

“Pfft, he just hasn’t met us.” Leo whistled. “Festus, after those flashlights!”

As they got closer, I worried we’d crash into the tower. The Boreads made right for the green peak and didn’t slow down. Then a section of the slanted roof slid open, revealing an entrance easily wide enough for Festus. The top and bottom were lined with icicles like jagged teeth.

“This cannot be good,” Jason muttered, but Leo spurred the dragon downward, and we swooped in after the Boreads.

We landed in what must have been the penthouse suite; but the place had been hit by a flash freeze. The entry hall had vaulted ceilings forty feet high, huge draped windows, and lush oriental carpets. A staircase at the back of the room led up to another equally massive hall, and more corridors branched off to the left and right. But the ice made the room’s beauty a little frightening.

When we slid off the dragon, the carpet crunched under our feet. A fine layer of frost covered the furniture. The curtains didn’t budge because they were frozen solid, and the ice-coated windows let in weird watery light from the sunset. Even the ceiling was furry with icicles. As for the stairs, I was sure I’d slip and snap my neck if I tried to climb them.

“Guys,” Leo said, “fix the thermostat in here, and I would totally move in.”

“Not me.” Jason looked uneasily at the staircase. “Something feels wrong. Something up there…” I don't know why, but I trusted Jason's instincts.

Festus shuddered and snorted flames. Frost started to form on his scales.

“No, no, no.” Zethes marched over, though how he could walk in those pointy leather shoes, Leo had no idea. “The dragon must be deactivated. We can’t have fire in here. The heat ruins my hair.”

Festus growled and spun his drill-bit teeth.

“’S’okay, boy.” Leo turned to Zethes. “The dragon’s a little touchy about the whole deactivation concept. But I’ve got a better solution.” Doubt gathered at the back of my mind but I tried not to show it. Maybe I'd gotten to used to travelling alone, or maybe I was just remembering some of Percy's less successful plans.

“Destroy?” Cal suggested.

“No, man. You gotta stop with the destroy talk. Just wait.”

“Leo,” Piper said nervously, “What are you—”

“Watch and learn, beauty queen. When I was repairing Festus last night, I found all kinds of buttons. Some, you do not want to know what they do. But others… Ah, here we go.”

Alright, so that was a little worrying, but I tried not to let it bother me.

Leo hooked his fingers behind the dragon’s left foreleg. He pulled a switch, and the dragon shuddered from head to toe. Everyone backed away as Festus folded like origami. His bronze plating stacked together. His neck and tail contracted into his body. His wings collapsed and his trunk compacted until he was a rectangular metal wedge the size of a suitcase.

Leo tried to lift it, but the thing obviously weighed about six billion pounds. “Um… yeah. Hold on. I think — aha.”

He pushed another button. A handle flipped up on the top, and wheels clicked out on the bottom.

“Ta-da!” he announced. “The world’s heaviest carry-on bag!”

"How does that physics?" I asked, not sure who would actually be able to answer.

“That’s impossible,” Jason said, startled. “Something that big couldn’t—”

“Stop!” Zethes ordered. He and Cal both drew their swords and glared at Leo.

Leo raised his hands. “Okay… what’d I do? Stay calm, guys. If it bothers you that much, I don’t have to take the dragon as carry-on—”

“Who are you?” Zethes shoved the point of his sword against Leo’s chest. “A child of the South Wind, spying on us?”

“What? No!” Leo said. “Son of Hephaestus. Friendly blacksmith, no harm to anyone!”

Cal growled. He put his face up to Leo’s, and he definitely wasn’t any prettier at point-blank, with his bruised eyes and bashed-in mouth. “Smell fire,” he said. “Fire is bad.”

“Oh. Yeah, well… my clothes are kind of singed, and I’ve been working with oil, and—”

“No!” Zethes pushed Leo back at sword point. “We can smell fire, demigod. We assumed it was from the creaky dragon, but now the dragon is a suitcase. And I still smell fire… on you.” On instinct, I slid Kleftis and Klevo out of their sheathes and into my hands.

“Hey – look – I don’t know—” He glanced at us desperately. “Guys, a little help?”

Jason already had his gold coin in his hand. He stepped forward, his eyes on Zethes. “Look, there’s been a mistake. Leo isn’t a fire guy. Tell them, Leo. Tell them you’re not a fire guy.”

“Um…”

Wonderful. The quest was going about as well as I’d expected then. Fan-freaking-tastic.

“Zethes?” Piper tried her dazzling smile again, though she looked a little too nervous and cold to pull it off. “We’re all friends here. Put down your swords and let’s talk.”

“The girl is pretty,” Zethes admitted, “and of course she cannot help being attracted to my amazingness; but sadly, I cannot romance her at this time.” He poked his sword point farther into Leo’s chest, and the frost spread across Leo’s shirt.

“Please,” I implored softly in the voice that used to calm Ethan down, or stop Luke hurting someone, “Leo just smells like fire because he spends hours in his forge,” I sent them a well-practised innocent smile. “He isn’t able to be as classy as you and be around ice all day.”

“The second is pretty too. But not enough to distract me from my job. I may romance her later with the first.” Zethes announced as I covered my annoyance with another smile. _Jerk_. Although, I did admit that Piper was leagues prettier, he was still rude.

_Priorities_ , I reminded myself sternly. _Focus_.

ADHD helps in a fight and everything, but it’s freaking annoying if you’re trying to be diplomatic.

“Destroy him now?” Cal asked his brother.

Zethes nodded. “Sadly, I think—”

“No,” Jason insisted. He sounded calm enough, but I figured he was about two seconds away from flipping that coin and going into full gladiator mode. “Leo’s just a son of Hephaestus. He’s no threat. Piper here is a daughter of Aphrodite. Clara’s a daughter of Hermes and I’m the son of Zeus. We’re on a peaceful—”

Jason’s voice faltered, because both Boreads had suddenly turned on him.

“What did you say?” Zethes demanded. “You are the son of Zeus?”

“Um… yeah,” Jason said. “That’s a good thing, right? My name is Jason.”

Cal looked so surprised, he almost dropped his sword. “Can’t be Jason,” he said. “Doesn’t look the same.”

Zethes stepped forward and squinted at Jason’s face. “No, he is not our Jason. Our Jason was more stylish. Not as much as me — but stylish. Besides, our Jason died millennia ago.”

“Wait,” Jason said. “Your Jason… you mean the original Jason? The Golden Fleece guy?”

“Of course,” Zethes said. “We were his crewmates aboard his ship, the Argo, in the old times, when we were mortal demigods. Then we accepted immortality to serve our father, so I could look this good for all time, and my silly brother could enjoy pizza and hockey.”

“Hockey!” Cal agreed.

“But Jason — our Jason — he died a mortal death,” Zethes said. “You can’t be him.”

“I’m not,” Jason agreed.

“So, destroy?” Cal asked. Clearly the conversation was giving his two brain cells a serious workout.

“No,” Zethes said regretfully. “If he is a son of Zeus, he could be the one we’ve been watching for.”

“Watching for?” Leo asked. “You mean like in a good way: you’ll shower him with fabulous prizes? Or watching for like in a bad way: he’s in trouble?”

A girl’s voice said, “That depends on my father’s will.”

I looked up the staircase. My heart nearly stopped. At the top stood a girl in a white silk dress. Her skin was unnaturally pale, the colour of snow, but her hair was a lush mane of black, and her eyes were coffee brown. She focused on us with no expression, no smile, and no friendliness.

Then she looked at Jason and Piper, and seemed to understand the situation immediately.

There was nothing outwardly threatening about her, but my heart was pounding. Something about her – I couldn't place it – but my instincts were screaming at me that she was going to cause trouble.

“Father will want to see the one called Jason,” the girl said.

“Then it is him?” Zethes asked excitedly.

“We’ll see,” the girl said. “Zethes, bring our guests.”

Leo grabbed the handle of his bronze dragon suitcase. He moved like he wasn’t sure how he’d lug it up the stairs, but he was desperate to be next to her. Probably to get her phone number too.

Before he could take a step, she froze him with a look. Not literally froze, but she might as well have. “Not you, Leo Valdez,” she said.

“Why not?” He sounded like a whiny kindergartner, but I don’t think he even cared.

“You cannot be in the presence of my father,” the girl said. “Fire and ice — it would not be wise.”

“We’re going together,” Jason insisted, putting his hand on Leo’s shoulder, “or not at all.”

The girl tilted her head, like she wasn’t used to people refusing her orders. “He will not be harmed, Jason Grace, unless you make trouble. Calais, keep Leo Valdez here. Guard him, but do not kill him.”

Cal pouted. “Just a little?”

“No,” the girl insisted. “And take care of his interesting suitcase, until Father passes judgment.”

Jason and Piper looked at Leo, their expressions asking him a silent question: How do you want to play this?

They were obviously ready to fight for him, and I understood that. I probably would have done the same thing on my first quest with Percy, Annabeth and Grover. But it was a risk; they didn’t sound like they were going to hurt Leo and rocking the boat sounded like a very bad idea.

Leo glanced over at me for advice. I shook my head and sent him a look that said: it’s best to do what they say.

“Its fine, guys,” he said. “No sense causing trouble if we don’t have to. You go ahead.”

“Listen to your friend,” the pale girl said. “Leo Valdez will be perfectly safe. I wish I could say the same for you, son of Zeus. Now come, King Boreas is waiting.”


	12. twelve | the ice princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The gods would thank me for killing you."

**xii**

**clara**

**December, 2015**

I wasn’t eager to leave Leo alone with Cal the hockey jock but I was starting to think that he might be the least dangerous option in this place. And, besides, that was mostly likely to be the only way to keep them from killing him.

As we climbed the icy staircase, Zethes stayed behind us, his blade drawn. The guy might’ve looked like a disco-era reject, but there was nothing funny about his sword. I figured one hit from that thing would probably turn me into a small Popsicle.

Then there was the ice princess. Every once in a while she’d turn and give Jason a smile, but there was no warmth in her expression. She regarded Jason like he was an especially interesting science specimen—one she couldn’t wait to dissect. Or snog, from some of her expressions. Jason looked so uncomfortable it almost made me laugh. Almost; she looked like she’d wear our tracheas as necklaces, which took some of the humour out of the situation.

But if these were Boreas’s kids, I was 100% sure I didn’t want to meet Daddy – even knowing Boreas was the friendliest of the wind gods. Apparently that meant he didn’t kill heroes quite as fast as the others did.

I worried that we’d all walked into a trap. If things went bad, the first one to go would be Leo and chances were they’d be nothing we could do to save him. I didn’t like our chances in a fight either, Piper had no training and Jason had no Greek training meaning he and I would be completely out of sync – never a good recipe for a fight.

Piper must have seen me looking worried because she squeezed my hand in comfort, I think she was scared too. I almost flinched, warmth was pretty foreign to me at this point.

“It’ll be fine,” I promised. “Just a talk, right?” The thing is, it was Piper’s first quest, and she must be terrified with such high stakes, all of them, now I thought about it. Fate of the world and all that. I suddenly felt guilt twist in my stomach, it would’ve been so much better for them to have Annabeth with them, at least she’d know what she was doing.

“Please, this way.” The Princess instructed. Zethes poked Jason in the back with his icicle sword, and we followed the princess down a massive hallway decked in frosty tapestries.

Freezing winds blew back and forth, and my thoughts moved almost as fast. I’d had a lot of time to think while they rode the dragon north, but I felt as confused as ever.

Thalia’s picture was still in Jason’s pocket, though I guessed he didn’t need to look at it anymore. Her image must have burned itself into his mind. It was bad enough not remembering his past, but to know he had a sister out there somewhere who might have answers and to have no way of finding her — that must drive him up the wall.

Thalia looked nothing like him. They both had blue eyes, but that was it. Her hair was black. Her complexion was more Mediterranean. Her facial features were sharper — like a hawk’s. They both looked kind to me, but then I had always seen her as a big sister so I was pretty biased.

Hera had taken those memories. She’d stolen everything from Jason’s past, plopped him into a new life, and now she expected him to save her from some prison just so he could get back what she’d taken. It must have infuriated Jason, I figured he must want to walk away, let Hera rot in that cage: but he couldn’t. She was smart, as much as I hated her, she she’d left just enough memories, the camp and Thalia to get Jason hooked. I admired the guy’s temper though, he was being completely used by her and I hadn’t heard him complain once, that must have taken some serious self-control.

“Hey.” I touched his arm. “You still with us?”

“Yeah… yeah, sorry.” Jason's eyes flicked to me briefly before he looked away again. There was definitely something about him that I couldn't figure out. His kindness earlier had stuck in my head and hung around, not letting me focus on anything else. Because, really, he had no reason to be kind to me.

At the end of the hallway we found ourselves in front of a set of oaken doors carved with a map of the world. In each corner was a man’s bearded face, blowing wind. I’d seen maps like this before on Luke’s war councils. But in this version, all the wind guys were Winter, blowing ice and snow from every corner of the world.

The princess turned. Her brown eyes glittered at Jason like he was a Christmas present she was hoping to open.

“This is the throne room,” she said. “Be on your best behaviour, Jason Grace. My father can be… chilly. I will translate for you, and try to encourage him to hear you out. I do hope he spares you. We could have such fun.”

She was _so_ hitting on him. The corners of my lips pulled in amusement. I tried to remind myself we were in a potentially deadly situation.

“Um, okay,” he managed. “But really, we’re just here for a little talk. We’ll be leaving right afterward.”

The girl smiled. “I love heroes. So blissfully ignorant.”

Piper rested her hand on her dagger. “Well, how about you enlighten us? You say you’re going to translate for us, and we don’t even know who you are. What’s your name?”

The girl sniffed with distaste. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised you don’t recognize me. Even in the ancient times the Greeks did not know me well. Their island homes were too warm, too far from my domain. I am Khione, daughter of Boreas, goddess of snow.”

She stirred the air with her finger, and a miniature blizzard swirled around her — big, fluffy flakes as soft as cotton. I rolled my eyes; every god or goddess was under the massive misconception that the world revolved around them, when really, the world just _hated_ them.

“Now, come,” Khione said. The oaken doors blew open, and cold blue light spilled out of the room. “Hopefully you will survive your little talk.”

If the entry hall had been cold, the throne room was like a meat locker.

Mist hung in the air. I shivered. Along the walls, purple tapestries showed scenes of snowy forests, barren mountains, and glaciers. High above, ribbons of coloured light—the aurora borealis—pulsed along the ceiling. A layer of snow covered the floor, so we all had to step carefully. All around the room stood life-size ice sculpture warriors — some in Greek armor, some medieval, some in modern camouflage — all frozen in various attack positions, swords raised, guns locked and loaded.

At least I thought they were sculptures. Then Jason tried to step between two Greek spearmen, and they moved with surprising speed, their joints cracking and spraying ice crystals as they crossed their javelins to block Jason’s path.

From the far end of the hall, a man’s voice rang out in a language that sounded like French. The room was so long and misty, Jason couldn’t see the other end; but whatever the man said, the ice guards uncrossed their javelins.

“It’s fine,” Khione said. “My father has ordered them not to kill you just yet.”

“Super,” Jason said. He was a sarcastic bitch and I loved it.

Zethes prodded him in the back with his sword. “Keep moving, Jason Junior.”

“Please don’t call me that.”

“My father is not a patient man,” Zethes warned, “and the beautiful Piper, sadly, is losing her magic hairdo very fast. Later, perhaps, I can lend her something from my wide assortment of hair products.”

“Thanks,” Piper grumbled. I smiled to myself, this was good, as long as no one was dying.

We kept walking, and the mist parted to reveal a man on an ice throne. He was sturdily built, dressed in a stylish white suit that seemed woven from snow, with dark purple wings that spread out to either side. His long hair and shaggy beard were encrusted with icicles, so I couldn’t tell if his hair was grey or just white with frost. His arched eyebrows made him look angry, but his eyes twinkled more warmly than his daughter’s — as if he might have a sense of humour buried somewhere under that permafrost. I hoped so.

“Bienvenu,” the king said. “Je suis Boreas le Roi. Et vous?” _Welcome, I am King Boreas. And you?_

Khione the snow goddess was about to speak, but Piper stepped forward and curtsied.

“Votre Majesté,” she said, “Je suis Piper McLean. Et c’est Jason, fils de Zeus. Et c'est Clara, fille d'Hermès.” _Your majesty, I am Piper McLean. And this is Jason, son of Zeus. And this is Clara, daughter of Hermes._

The king smiled with pleasant surprise. “Vous parlez français? Très bien!” _You speak French? Very good!_

“Piper, you speak French?” Jason asked.

Piper frowned. “No. Why?”

“You just spoke French.” I told her, Piper blinked. I’d understood it as a daughter of Hermes, I couldn’t speak the language unless someone else was speaking it around me. It was probably my favourite thing about being a demigod, my siblings and I could travel anywhere with relative ease. Also, I'd grown up in New Orleans, so I'd heard it on-and-off throughout my childhood.

“I did?” The king said something else, and Piper nodded. “Oui, Votre Majesté.” _Yes, Your Majesty_

The king laughed and clapped his hands, obviously delighted. He said a few more sentences then swept his hand toward his daughter as if shooing her away.

Khione looked miffed. “The king says—”

“He says I’m a daughter of Aphrodite,” Piper interrupted, “so naturally I can speak French, which is the language of love. I had no idea. His Majesty says Khione won’t have to translate now.”

Behind them, Zethes snorted, and Khione shot him a murderous look. She bowed stiffly to her father and took a step back.

The king sized up Jason, and Jason bowed, which was probably a good idea. “Your Majesty, I’m Jason Grace. Thank you for, um, not killing us. May I ask, why does a Greek god speak French?”

Piper had another exchange with the king.

“He speaks the language of his host country,” Piper translated. “He says all gods do this. Most Greek gods speak English, as they now reside in the United States, but Boreas was never welcomed in their realm. His domain was always far to the north. These days he likes Quebec, so he speaks French.”

The king said something else, and Piper turned pale. I’d understood, and I felt myself stiffen. We were so screwed.

“The king says…” She faltered. “He says—”

“Oh, allow me,” Khione said. “My father says he has orders to kill you. Did I not mention that earlier?”

Jason tensed. The king was still smiling amiably, like he’d just delivered great news. I scowled, but was distracted desperately trying to think of a way out.

“Kill us?” Jason said. “Why?”

“Because,” the king said, in heavily accented English, “my lord Aeolus has commanded it.”

Boreas rose. He stepped down from his throne and furled his wings against his back. As he approached, Khione and Zethes bowed. Jason and Piper followed their example. I raised both eyebrows, but inclined my head. I hadn’t bowed to any god (except Artemis, but that was different) since I joined Luke, I wouldn’t again.

“I shall deign to speak your language,” Boreas said, “As Piper McLean has honoured me in mine. Touj jours, I have had a fondness for the children of Aphrodite. As for you, Jason Grace, my master Aeolus would not expect me to kill a son of Lord Zeus… without first hearing you out. But you Castellan… The Gods would thank me for killing you.”

I shrugged indifferently. “Probably would. You’re welcome to take a shot.” It was the truth, I was pretty sure I was still alive for a reason, and I honestly didn’t hate my chances in a one on one fight, but more than all that, I just didn’t care too much. So what if he did kill me? I’d see Luke again (although he would be so mad). I didn’t really give a damn if I lived or died anymore, I knew it should worry me, it just didn’t.

“Aeolus is the master of the winds, right?” Jason asked. “Why would he want us dead?”

“You are demigods,” Boreas said, as if this explained everything. “Aeolus’s job is to contain the winds, and demigods have always caused him many headaches. They ask him for favours. They unleash winds and cause chaos. But the final insult was the battle with Typhon last summer…”

Boreas waved his hand, and a sheet of ice like a flat-screen TV appeared in the air. Images of a battle flickered across the surface—a giant wrapped in storm clouds, wading across a river toward the Manhattan skyline. Tiny, glowing figures of the gods swarmed around him like angry wasps, pounding the monster with lightning and fire. Finally the river erupted in a massive whirlpool, and the smoky form sank beneath the waves and disappeared. I shivered, I could remember that from last summer and I hadn’t wanted to see it ever again.

“The storm giant, Typhon,” Boreas explained. “The first time the gods defeated him, eons ago, he did not die quietly. His death released a host of storm spirits — wild winds that answered to no one. It was Aeolus’s job to track them all down and imprison them in his fortress. The other gods — they did not help. They did not even apologize for the inconvenience. It took Aeolus centuries to track down all the storm spirits, and naturally this irritated him. Then, last summer, Typhon was defeated again—”

“And his death released another wave of venti,” Jason guessed. “Which made Aeolus even angrier.”

“C’est vrai,” Boreas agreed.

“But, Your Majesty,” Piper said, “The gods had no choice but to battle Typhon. He was going to destroy Olympus! Besides, why punish demigods for that?”

The king shrugged. “Aeolus cannot take out his anger on the gods. They are his bosses, and very powerful. So he gets even with the demigods who helped them in the war. He issued orders to us: demigods who come to us for aid are no longer to be tolerated. We are to crush your little mortal faces.”

There was an uncomfortable silence.

“That sounds… extreme,” Jason ventured. “But you’re not going to crush our faces yet, right? You’re going to listen to us first, ’cause once you hear about our quest—”

“Yes, yes,” the king agreed. “You see, Aeolus also said that a son of Zeus might seek my aid, and if this happened, I should listen to you before destroying you, as you might—how did he put it?—make all our lives very interesting. I am only obligated to listen, however. After that, I am free to pass judgment as I see fit. But I will listen first. Khione wishes this also. It may be that we will not kill you.”

“Great. Thanks.”

“Do not thank me.” Boreas smiled. “There are many ways you could make our lives interesting. Sometimes we keep demigods for our amusement, as you can see.”

He gestured around the room to the various ice statues.

Piper made a strangled noise. “You mean—they’re all demigods? Frozen demigods? They’re alive?”

“An interesting question,” Boreas conceded, as if it had never occurred to him before. “They do not move unless they are obeying my orders. The rest of the time, they are merely frozen. Unless they were to melt, I suppose, which would be very messy.”

Khione stepped behind Jason and put her cold fingers on his neck. “My father gives me such lovely presents,” she murmured in his ear. “Join our court. Perhaps I’ll let your friends go.” Despite the seriousness of the situation, I desperately wanted to laugh at how uncomfortable Jason looked.

“What?” Zethes broke in. “If Khione gets this one, then I deserve the girl. Khione always gets more presents!”

“Now, children,” Boreas said sternly. “Our guests will think you are spoiled! Besides, you moved too fast. We have not even heard the demigod’s story yet. Then we will decide what to do with them. Please, Jason Grace, entertain us.”

Khione purred and stroked Jason’s neck. Jason obviously didn’t plan it, but electricity sparked along his skin. There was loud pop, and Khione flew backward, skidding across the floor.

Zethes laughed. “That is good! I’m glad you did that, even though I have to kill you now.”

_Oh, okay, brilliant_. I thought. I cast my eyes over the room, if these weren’t storm spirits, I’d get the three of us to run for the window but that didn’t seem like a great idea. I guess we might have a chance if we bolted for the stairs, but would we have time to grab Leo and run? If he could get Festus up and ready to fly while Jason and I fought we might have a shot, but that was a big _if_.

For a moment, Khione was too stunned to react. Then the air around her began to swirl with a micro-blizzard. “You dare — even without your legion –”

_Who?_ I thought, completely distracted, _was that the camp?_

“Stop,” Jason ordered, with as much force as he could muster, visibly taken off guard by the comment. “You’re not going to kill us. And you’re not going to keep us. We’re on a quest for the queen of the gods herself, so unless you want Hera busting down your doors, you’re going to let us go.”

He sounded a lot more confident than he probably felt, but it got their attention. Khione’s blizzard swirled to a stop. Zethes lowered his sword. They both looked uncertainly at their father.

“Hmm,” Boreas said. His eyes twinkled, but I couldn’t tell if it was with anger or amusement. “A son of Zeus, favoured by Hera? This is definitely a first. Tell us your story.”

Jason clearly hadn’t been expecting to get the chance to talk, and now that he could, his voice abandoned him. He looked to Piper, fear flickering under the confident mask he had on.

Piper saved him. “Your Majesty.” She curtsied again with incredible poise, considering her life was on the line. She told Boreas the whole story, from the Grand Canyon to the prophecy, much better and faster than the rest of us could have.

“All we ask for is guidance,” Piper concluded. “These storm spirits attacked us, and they’re working for some evil mistress. If we find them, maybe we can find Hera.”

The king stroked the icicles in his beard. Out the windows, night had fallen, and the only light came from the aurora borealis overhead, washing everything in red and blue.

“I know of these storm spirits,” Boreas said. “I know where they are kept, and of the prisoner they took.”

“You mean Coach Hedge?” Jason asked. “He’s alive?”

Boreas waved aside the question. “For now. But the one who controls these storm winds… It would be madness to oppose her. You would be better staying here as frozen statues.”

“Hera’s in trouble,” Jason said. “In three days she’s going to be — I don’t know — consumed, destroyed, something. And a giant is going to rise.”

“Yes,” Boreas agreed. Was it my imagination, or did he shoot Khione an angry look? “Many horrible things are waking. Even my children do not tell me all the news they should. The Great Stirring of monsters that began with Kronos — your father Zeus foolishly believed it would end when the Titans were defeated. But just as it was before, so it is now. The final battle is yet to come, and the one who will wake is more terrible than any Titan. Storm spirits — these are only beginning. The earth has many more horrors to yield up. When monsters no longer stay in Tartarus, and souls are no longer confined to Hades… Olympus has good reason to fear.”

“No longer confined to… Does that mean the laws of life and death don’t apply? That people could come back?” I demanded.

_Luke._

The king sent me a long, displeased look. "Perhaps. But what’s dead should stay dead.”

I felt like I was on fire all of a sudden. Everyone who died in the war… Ethan, Luke, Silena, Beckendorf, hell, even Michael Yew. _Christ_. The possibility they could all come back. I felt like someone had slammed a stop sign in front of my face while I was driving a hundred miles above the speed limit (and yes, that had happened).

“So you’ll help us?” Jason asked the king.

Boreas scowled. “I did not say that.”

“Please, Your Majesty,” Piper said.

Everyone’s eyes turned toward her. She had to be scared out of her mind, but she looked confident—and it had nothing to do with the blessing of Aphrodite. She looked herself again, in day-old traveling clothes with choppy hair and no makeup. But she almost glowed with warmth in that cold throne room. “If you tell us where the storm spirits are, we can capture them and bring them to Aeolus. You’d look good in front of your boss. Aeolus might pardon us and the other demigods. We could even rescue Gleeson Hedge. Everyone wins.”

“She’s pretty,” Zethes mumbled. “I mean, she’s right.”

“Father, don’t listen to her,” Khione said. “She’s a child of Aphrodite. She dares to charmspeak a god? Freeze her now!”

Boreas considered this. Jason slipped his hand in his pocket and got ready to bring out the gold coin. I flipped Kleftis out into my hand, I knew how easily this could go south. If things went wrong, we’d have to move fast.

The movement caught Boreas’s eye. “What is that on your forearm, demigod?”

None of us had realized, but Jason’s coat sleeve had gotten pushed up, revealing the edge of his tattoo. Reluctantly, he showed Boreas his marks.

The god’s eyes widened.

Then Boreas did something unexpected. He laughed so loudly, an icicle cracked from the ceiling and crashed next to his throne. The god’s form began to flicker. His beard disappeared. He grew taller and thinner, and his clothes changed into a Roman toga, lined with purple. His head was crowned with a frosty laurel wreath, and a gladius — a Roman sword like Jason’s — hung at his side.

“Aquilon,” Jason said, though where he got the god’s Roman name from, I had no idea.

The god inclined his head. “You recognize me better in this form, yes? And yet you said you came from Camp Half-Blood?”

Jason shifted his feet. “Uh… yes, Your Majesty.”

Okay, this was pretty much conclusive proof. Damn. Usually, I’d love being right against impossible odds, but just this once I would’ve killed to be utterly wrong.

“And Hera sent you there…” The winter god’s eyes were full of mirth. “I understand now. Oh, she plays a dangerous game. Bold, but dangerous! No wonder Olympus is closed. They must be trembling at the gamble she has taken.”

“Jason,” Piper said nervously, “why did Boreas change shape? The toga, the wreath. What’s going on?”

“It’s his Roman form,” Jason said. “But what’s going on—I don’t know.”

The god laughed. “No, I’m sure you don’t. This should be very interesting to watch.”

“Does that mean you’ll let us go?” Piper asked.

“My dear,” Boreas said, “there is no reason for me to kill you. If Hera’s plan fails, which I think it will, you will tear each other apart. Aeolus will never have to worry about demigods again.”

“I don’t suppose you could explain?” Jason asked.

“No,” I said, stepping forward and silently begging Jason to trust me.

“Oh, perish the thought! It is not for me to interfere in Hera’s plan. No wonder she took your memory.” Boreas chuckled, apparently still having a great time imagining demigods tearing each other apart. “You know, I have a reputation as a helpful wind god. Unlike my brethren, I’ve been known to fall in love with mortals. Why, my sons Zethes and Calais started as demigods—”

“Which explains why they are idiots,” Khione growled.

“Stop it!” Zethes snapped back. “Just because you were born a full goddess—”

“Both of you, freeze,” Boreas ordered. Apparently, that word carried a lot of weight in the household, because the two siblings went absolutely still. “Now, as I was saying, I have a good reputation, but it is rare that Boreas plays an important role in the affairs of gods. I sit here in my palace, at the edge of civilization, and so rarely have amusements. Why, even that fool Notus, the South Wind, gets spring break in Cancún. What do I get? A winter festival with naked Québécois rolling around in the snow!”

“I like the winter festival,” Zethes muttered. Ew.

“My point,” Boreas snapped, “is that I now have a chance to be the centre. Oh, yes, I will let you go on this quest. You will find your storm spirits in the windy city, of course. Chicago—”

“Father!” Khione protested.

Boreas ignored his daughter. “If you can capture the winds, you may be able to gain safe entrance to the court of Aeolus. If by some miracle you succeed, be sure to tell him you captured the winds on my orders.”

“Okay, sure,” Jason said. “So Chicago is where we’ll find this lady who’s controlling the winds? She’s the one who’s trapped Hera?”

“Ah.” Boreas grinned. “Those are two different questions, son of Jupiter.”

_Okay then, Hera’s killed us all_. It wasn’t the most surprising news I’d gotten all week, but it still made something dark and heavy settle in my stomach.

“The one who controls the winds,” Boreas continued, “yes, you will find her in Chicago. But she is only a servant — a servant who is very likely to destroy you. If you succeed against her and take the winds, then you may go to Aeolus. Only he has knowledge of all the winds on the earth. All secrets come to his fortress eventually. If anyone can tell you where Hera is imprisoned, it is Aeolus. As for who you will meet when you finally find Hera’s cage — truly, if I told you that, you would beg me to freeze you.”

“Father,” Khione protested, “you can’t simply let them—”

“I can do what I like,” he said, his voice hardening. “I am still master here, am I not?”

The way Boreas glared at his daughter, it was obvious they had some ongoing argument. Khione’s eyes flashed with anger, but she clenched her teeth. “As you wish, Father.” I felt an unexpected rush of sympathy for the snow goddess – daddy issues I could understand.

“Now go, demigods,” Boreas said, “before I change my mind. Zethes, escort them out safely.”

We all bowed, and the god of the North Wind dissolved into mist.

Back in the entry hall, Cal and Leo were waiting for us. Leo looked cold but unharmed. He’d even gotten cleaned up, and his clothes looked newly washed, like he’d used the hotel’s valet service. Festus the dragon was back in normal form, snorting fire over his scales to keep himself defrosted.

As Khione led us down the stairs, I noticed that Leo’s eyes followed her. Leo started combing his hair back with his hands. _He could do way better_ , I thought, _Khione was not someone to get a crush on_.

At the bottom step, Khione turned to Piper. “You have fooled my father, girl. But you have not fooled me. We are not done. Your time will come also, _Traitor_.” She shot at me, which just made me grin, “And you, Jason Grace, I will see you as a statue in the throne room soon enough. You should have known I’m more dangerous than your fellow Praetor.”

Jason had seemed like a pretty chill guy (excuse the pun) up until that point. I saw, only for a second, I saw his face flood with anger. He recognised whoever Khione was talking about, maybe he didn’t know exactly, but he did. For the first time, I saw how intimidating the son of Jupiter could be if he tried. 

“Boreas is right,” Jason said, clenching his jaw, icy eyes flashing. “You’re a spoiled kid. See you around, ice princess.”

Khione’s eyes flared pure white. For once, she seemed at a loss for words. She stormed back up the stairs — literally. Halfway up, she turned into a blizzard and disappeared.

“Be careful,” Zethes warned. “She never forgets an insult.”

Cal grunted in agreement. “Bad sister.”

“She’s the goddess of snow,” Jason said. “What’s she going to do, throw snowballs at us?” He must’ve still be angry, even if he couldn’t remember who the Praetor was, but I reckon he still knew Khione could do more than that.

Leo looked devastated. “What happened up there? You made her mad? Is she mad at me too? Guys that was my prom date!”

“We’ll explain later,” Piper promised, but when she glanced at Jason, he realized she expected him to explain.

What had happened up there? _You will tear each other apart_ , he’d said with delight. _Aeolus will never have to worry about demigods again_.

Jason looked away from us, I guessed he was trying to stay in control of himself, not to let us see if he was scared which was pretty Roman of him. “Yeah,” he agreed, “we’ll explain later.”

“Be careful, pretty girl,” Zethes said. “The winds between here and Chicago are bad-tempered. Many other evil things are stirring. I am sorry you will not be staying. You would make a lovely ice statue, in which I could check my reflection.”

“Thanks,” Piper said. “But I’d sooner play hockey with Cal.”

“Hockey?” Cal’s eyes lit up.

“Joking,” Piper said. “And the storm winds aren’t our worst problem, are they?”

“Oh, no,” Zethes agreed. “Something else. Something worse.”

“Worse,” Cal echoed.

“Can you tell me?” Piper gave them a smile.

This time, the charm didn’t work. The purple-winged Boreads shook their heads in unison. The hangar doors opened onto a freezing starry night, and Festus the dragon stomped his feet, anxious to fly.

“Ask Aeolus what is worse,” Zethes said darkly. “He knows. Good luck.”

He almost sounded like he cared what happened to us, even though a few minutes ago he’d wanted to make Piper into an ice sculpture.

Cal patted Leo on the shoulder. “Don’t get destroyed,” he said, which was probably the longest sentence he’d ever attempted. “Next time — hockey. Pizza.”

“Come on, guys.” Jason stared out at the dark. We were all anxious to get out of that cold penthouse, but I had a feeling it was the most hospitable place we’d see for a while. “Let’s go to Chicago and try not to get destroyed.”


	13. thirteen | another life (and the ones that came before)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Same twist to their lips, same stormy blue eyes, same glint of pride – almost arrogance."

**xiii**

**piper**

**December, 2015**

I didn’t relax until the glow of Quebec City faded behind us.

“You were brilliant,” Jason told me.

The compliment should’ve made my day. But all I could think about was the trouble ahead. Evil things are stirring, Zethes had warned us. That I knew first hand. The closer we got to the solstice, the less time I had to make my decision. It felt like those moments in school when you realise exams are coming and you haven’t done any revision, but instead of the stress getting you to cram, it just paralyses you and before you know it you’ve spent all night on YouTube and you’re going to fail everything in the morning.

I told Jason in French: “If you knew the truth about me, you wouldn’t think I was so amazing.”

“What’d you say?” he asked.

“I said I only talked to Boreas. It wasn’t so amazing.”

I didn’t turn to look, but I imagined him smiling.

“Hey,” he said, “you saved me from joining Khione’s sub-zero hero collection. I owe you one.”

That was definitely the easy part, I thought. There was no way I would’ve let that ice witch keep Jason. What bothered me more was the way Boreas had changed form, and why he’d let us go, and I could tell it bothered Clara too, she looked at Jason like he was something highly explosive sometimes, just for a second put it was long enough. It had something to do with Jason’s past, those tattoos on his arm. Boreas assumed Jason was some sort of Roman, and Romans didn’t mix with Greeks. I kept waiting for Jason to offer an explanation, but he clearly didn’t want to talk about it.

I wondered too who the ‘Praetor' Khione had taunted Jason about was? I hoped for Jason’s sake they’d be looking for him, somewhat surprising myself.

Until now, I had been able to dismiss Jason’s feeling that he didn’t belong at Camp Half-Blood. Obviously he was a demigod. Of course he belonged. But now… what if he was something else? What if he really was an enemy? I couldn’t stand that idea any more than I could stand Khione.

Leo passed us some sandwiches from his pack. He’d been quiet ever since we’d told him what happened in the throne room. “I still can’t believe Khione,” he said. “She looked so nice.”

“Trust me, man,” Jason said. “Snow may be pretty, but up close it’s cold and nasty. We’ll find you a better prom date.”

I smiled, but Leo didn’t look pleased. He hadn’t said much about his time in the palace, or why the Boreads had singled him out for smelling like fire. I got the feeling he was hiding something. Whatever it was, his mood seemed to be affecting Festus, who grumbled and steamed as he tried to keep himself warm in the cold Canadian air. Happy the Dragon was not so happy.

We ate our sandwiches as we flew, I got some teasing ribbing from Clara but there was no venom in it, she grinned at me as her hair was tossed around by the wind, Leo and I laughed outright, and Jason was obviously stopping himself. I had no idea how Leo had stocked up on supplies, but he’d even remembered to bring veggie rations for me. The cheese and avocado sandwich was awesome.

Nobody really talked after that. Whatever we might find in Chicago, we all knew Boreas had only let us go because he figured we were already on a suicide mission.

The moon rose and stars turned overhead. My eyes started to feel heavy. The encounter with Boreas and his children had scared me more than I wanted to admit. Now that I had a full stomach, my adrenaline was fading.

Suck it up, cupcake! Coach Hedge would’ve yelled at me. Don’t be a wimp!

I had been thinking about the coach ever since Boreas mentioned he was still alive. I’d never liked Hedge, but he’d leaped off a cliff to save Leo, and he’d sacrificed himself to protect us on the skywalk. It dawned on me now that all the times at school that Coach had pushed me, yelled at me to run faster or do more push-ups, or even when he’d turned his back and let me fight my own battles with the mean girls, the Hedge had been trying to help me in his own irritating way — trying to prepare me for life as a demigod.

On the skywalk, Dylan the storm spirit had said something about the coach, too: how he’d been retired to Wilderness School because he was getting too old, like it was some sort of punishment. I wondered what that was about, and if it explained why the coach was always so grumpy. Whatever the truth, now that I knew Hedge was alive, I had a strong compulsion to help him.

_Don’t get ahead of yourself_ , I chided. _You’ve got bigger problems. This trip won’t have a happy ending_.

I was a traitor. It was only a matter of time before my friends found out.

I looked up at the stars and thought about a night long ago when Dad and I had camped out in front of Grandpa Tom’s house. Grandpa Tom had died years before, but Dad had kept his house in Oklahoma because it was where he grew up.

We’d gone back for a few days, with the idea of getting the place fixed up to sell, although I wasn’t sure who’d want to buy a run-down cabin with shutters instead of windows and two tiny rooms that smelled like cigars, no matter how much I loved it. The first night had been so stifling hot — no air conditioning in the middle of August — that Dad suggested we sleep outside.

So we’d spread our sleeping bags and listened to the cicadas buzzing in the trees. I pointed out the constellations I’d been reading about — Hercules, Apollo’s lyre, Sagittarius the centaur.

Dad crossed his arms behind his head. In his old T-shirt and jeans he looked like just another guy from Tahlequah, Oklahoma, a Cherokee who might’ve never left tribal lands. “Your grandpa would say those Greek patterns are a bunch of bull. He told me the stars were creatures with glowing fur, like magic hedgehogs. Once, long ago, some hunters even captured a few in the forest. They didn’t know what they’d done until night time, when the star creatures began to glow. Golden sparks flew from their fur, so the Cherokee released them back into the sky.”

“You believe in magic hedgehogs?” I asked.

Dad laughed. “I think Grandpa Tom was full of bull, too, just like the Greeks. But it’s a big sky. I suppose there’s room for Hercules and hedgehogs.”

We sat for a while, until I got the nerve to ask a question that had been bugging me. “Dad, why don’t you ever play Native American parts?”

The week before, he’d turned down several million dollars to play Tonto in a remake of The Lone Ranger. I was still trying to figure out why. He’d played all kinds of roles — a Latino teacher in a tough L.A. school, a dashing Israeli spy in an action-adventure blockbuster, even a Syrian terrorist in a James Bond movie. And, of course, he would always be known as the King of Sparta. But if the part was Native American — it didn’t matter what kind of role it was — Dad turned it down.

He winked at me. “Too close to home, Pipes. Easier to pretend I’m something I’m not.”

“Doesn’t that get old? Aren’t you ever tempted, like, if you found the perfect part that could change people’s opinions?”

“If there’s a part like that, Pipes,” he said sadly, “I haven’t found it.”

I looked at the stars, trying to imagine them as glowing hedgehogs. All I saw were the stick figures I knew — Hercules running across the sky, on his way to kill monsters. Dad was probably right. The Greeks and the Cherokee were equally crazy. The stars were just balls of fire.

“Dad,” I said, “If you don’t like being close to home, why are we sleeping in Grandpa Tom’s yard?”

His laughter echoed in the quiet Oklahoma night. “I think you know me too well, Pipes.”

“You’re not really going to sell this place, are you?”

“Nope,” he sighed. “I’m probably not.”

Blinking, I shook myself out of the memory. I realized I’d been falling asleep on the dragon’s back. How could dad pretend to be so many things he wasn’t? I was trying to do that now, and it was tearing me apart.

Maybe I could pretend for a little while longer. I could dream of finding a way to save my father without betraying my friends — even if right now a happy ending seemed about as likely as magic hedgehogs.

“Bonne nuit.” Clara said quietly, and I felt a growing sense of dread in my stomach but I was to tired and close to being asleep to figure out why.

I leaned back against Jason’s warm chest. He didn’t complain. As soon I closed my eyes, I drifted off to sleep.

_In my dream, I was back in the library of the Wilderness School._

_Leo and I were shoved into a corner at the back, he had his feet up on the chair opposite him while I leant over my biology textbooks, copying out notes as best I could when the words refused to sit still on the page. We’d had double English earlier and my head was still filled with Macbeth’s paranoid ramblings._

_Honestly, the longer I was at Wilderness School the more I liked it. Sure, the intense PE lessons from the Coach caused my body to ache all over and Isabel was an awful roommate, but there were good things too; Leo for one. He was probably the most annoying person I’d ever met but he was also the best friend I’d ever had._

_He was the kind of person that could spend hours trying to wind you up, but would never actually want to upset you, he rigged up weird inventions that flew in class and launched them into teachers hair, he’d deflect a fight with humour, flirt with anyone and had never once made me feel weird about my dad._

_Really, I didn’t know too much about Leo’s life before he came to the school. All I knew was that his mom was dead and he’d run away from several foster homes. It sounded awful, but he stayed adamant that I shouldn’t feel sorry for him so I tried not to mention it. I wasn’t stupid though, I knew Leo wasn’t telling me everything and I knew he had issues with it, but I didn’t want to bring it up and make him uncomfortable. I wouldn’t know what to say even if I tried._

_Leo leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the table in front of us. He waited a moment before speaking and I was half convinced he was about to come out with some deep point, instead he said “English sucks ass, how the hell do you pay attention the whole time?”_

_I laughed despite myself, nudging him lightly with my elbow. Everyone who met Leo figured out how ADHD he was within a few minutes, he could never sit still, and in English he tended to get so bored he caused trouble until he was thrown out. “I dunno,” I shrugged, trying to pay attention to my bio notes. It didn’t work very well. “Guess I just relate to Macbeth’s rampant urge to slaughter everyone around him.”_

_I’d kept my ton utterly deadpan, and Leo burst out laughing. “Isabel’s Macduff then.” He snorted._

_“Mmhm,” I nodded, “she was born of demon, not woman.” Leo and I went back to giggling for a while, until the dream caused my head to feel like it was splitting in agony._

_I could see the memory playing out in two ways. In one, Leo and I leaned back in our chairs and starting debating burgers vs veggie burgers, a pretty normal conversation by all accounts, until someone walked into the library. He was tall, blonde, broad shouldered and familiar. Jason. In that memory, Jason looked around awkwardly and finding ours the only mostly empty table, he asked if he could sit. We said yes, and were cracking jokes within the hour._

_In the other memory, Jason never turned up. Leo and I sat and talked until the bell rang and we went to Maths. Then I had Spanish and he had French. Jason never turned up. I suppose that one must have been true. The thought shook me, made my eyes burn._

_My dream seemed to liquefy, then reform._

_I was back at Camp Half-Blood, but it was mostly deserted. The ground looked like it was shimmering in the August heat. Around me, all the campers were in their cabins packing up, or running around with brooms and mops. Argus was helping some of the Aphrodite kids haul their Gucci suitcases and makeup kits over the hill. I realised this must have been the end of the summer. Judging by everyone's clothes and the few phones I caught glimpses of, it must have been about five years ago._

_In my dream, I drifted towards the sword-fighters arena, and realised I was following a boy, about eleven or twelve with messy dark hair and the same kind of nervous energy as Leo._

_The arena was deserted except for one other guy. He was taller and older – maybe nineteen? – with blond hair that was darkened by sweat. His orange counsellor's shirt was dripping with sweat. His expression was so intense, his life might've really been in danger. I watched, fascinated, as he disembowelled the whole row of dummies, hacking off limbs and basically reducing them to a pile of straw and armour. His gym bag was plopped at the edge of the stage. He was working solo, attacking the dummies with a sword I recognised but couldn't put my finger on it for a moment. Then it hit me – it was the same style as Clara's. Half of it was celestial bronze and the other half was mortal steel. Clara's twin knives looked dangerous enough – this sword looked lethal._

_They were only dummies, but I still couldn't help being awed by the guy's skill. He was an incredible fighter, but brutal. Something in me really didn't want to watch him fight another half-blood._

_Finally, he caught sight of the boy, and stopped mid-swing. "Percy."_

_My eyes widened – was that Annabeth's Percy?_

_"Um, sorry," He said, embarrassed. "I just—"_

_"It's okay," he said, lowering his sword. "Just doing some last-minute practice."_

_"Those dummies won't be bothering anybody anymore."_

_The blond shrugged. He didn't look like he was in the mood for jokes."We build new ones every summer."_

_Now that his sword wasn't swirling around, Percy fixed his eyes on it, looking more and more concerned. The guy noticed him looking at it. "Oh, this? New toy. This is Backbiter."_

_"Backbiter?"_

_He turned the blade in the light so it glinted wickedly. "One side is celestial bronze. The other is tempered steel. Works on mortals and immortals both."_

_"I didn't know they could make weapons like that." Percy said. He looked like he was trying hard not to back off. I couldn't blame him. The design was identical to Clara's, which made me wonder why she'd need knives that killed mortals._

_"They probably can't," The guy agreed. "Only Clara and I have them."_ _He gave Percy a tiny smile, then slid the sword into its scabbard. "Listen, I was going to come looking for you. What do you say we go down to the woods one last time, look for something to fight?"_

_He hesitated, and I didn't blame him. Everything in my body was telling me that following him would be an insanely bad decision. "You think it's a good idea?" He asked. "I mean—"_

_"Aw, come on." The blond rummaged in his gym bag and pulled out a six-pack of Cokes. "Drinks are on me."_

_Sugar and caffeine. I watched Percy's willpower crumble._

_"Sure," He decided. "Why not?"_

_They walked down to the woods and kicked around for some kind of monster to fight, but there was nothing. I followed them, kind of relieved, but still unsure what exactly was going on._

_The boys found a shady spot by a creek. They sat on a big rock, drank their Cokes, and watched the sunlight in the woods._

_After a while the blond said, "You miss being on a quest?"_

_"With monsters attacking me every three feet? Are you kidding?" Percy snorted._

_He raised an eyebrow. At once I could understand and not. I'd never felt more alive – or more terrified – than I had over the last two days, but I wanted it to be over. I wasn't sure how he could_ miss _it._

_"Yeah, I miss it," he admitted. "You?"_

_A shadow passed over the blonde's face. When I'd first seen him, I'd thought he looked handsome, but not anymore. He looked weary, and angry, and not at all handsome. His blond hair was grey in the sunlight. The scar on his face looked deep and jagged, like it had just been sliced. I could imagine him as an old man._

_"I've lived at Half-Blood Hill year-round since I was fourteen," he said. "Ever since Thalia... well, you know. I trained, and trained, and trained. And trained Clara, too. I never got to be a normal teenager, out there in the real world. Then they threw me one quest, and when I came back, it was like, 'Okay, ride's over. Have a nice life.'"_

_He crumpled his Coke can and threw into the creek, which looked like it really shocked Percy._

_"The heck with laurel wreaths," He said. "I'm not going to end up like those dusty trophies in the Big House attic."_

_"You make it sound like you're leaving."_

_The blond gave a twisted smile. I felt my heart jump. Last night, when Clara and Annabeth had argued, I'd seen an identical expression on her face. Same twist to their lips, same stormy blue eyes, same glint of pride – almost arrogance. "Oh, I'm leaving, all right, Percy. I brought you down here to say good-bye."_

_He snapped his fingers. A small fire burned a hole in the ground at Percy's feet. Out crawled something glistening black, about the size of my hand. A scorpion. I jumped backwards, even though I knew it couldn't hurt me._

_"I wouldn't," The guy cautioned. "Pit scorpions can jump up to fifteen feet. Its stinger can pierce right through your clothes. You'll be dead in sixty seconds."_

_"Luke, what—"_

_There was a pause where Percy looked at the guy – Luke, apparently – as if a hundred piece jigsaw had just fallen into place._

_"You," I said._

_Luke stood calmly and brushed off his jeans. The scorpion paid him no attention. It kept its beady black eyes on Percy, clamping its pincers as it crawled onto my shoe. I had the horrible feeling I was about to watch him die._

_"I saw a lot out there in the world, Percy," Luke said. "Didn't you feel it — the darkness gathering, the monsters growing stronger? Didn't you realize how useless it all is? All the heroics — being pawns of the gods. They should've been overthrown thousands of years ago, but they've hung on, thanks to us half-bloods."_

_Everything fell into place._ Luke and Clara _Drew had said. The same eyes, the same face, the Louisiana accent that bled into Luke's voice and enveloped Clara's._

_What else had Drew said?_ Luke, was the one who started the whole thing… He wanted to tear Olympus down and raise Kronos as king… Clara agreed with him, she wanted Olympus destroyed, she wanted the Gods ripped from their thrones and obliterated. She stayed with Luke for years while he started killing. _I could see Luke as a killer. Maybe not Clara, but him._

_"Luke ... you're talking about our parents," Percy said._

_He laughed. "That's supposed to make me love them? Their precious 'Western civilization is a disease, Percy. It's killing the world. The only way to stop it is to burn it to the ground, start over with something more honest."_

_"You're as crazy as Ares."_

_His eyes flared. "Ares is a fool. He never realized the true master he was serving. If I had time, Percy, I could explain. But I'm afraid you won't live that long."_

_The scorpion crawled onto Percy's pants leg._

_"Kronos," he said. "That's who you serve."_

_The air got colder._

_"You should be careful with names," Luke warned._

_"Kronos got you to steal the master bolt and the helm. He spoke to you in your dreams."_

_Luke's eye twitched. "He spoke to you, too, Percy. You should've listened."_

_"He's brainwashing you, Luke."_

_"You're wrong. He showed me that my talents are being wasted. You know what my quest was two years ago, Percy? My father, Hermes, wanted me to steal a golden apple from the Garden of the Hesperides and return it to Olympus. After all the training I'd done, that was the best he could think up."_

_"That's not an easy quest," Percy said. "Hercules did it." I could tell it was the wrong thing to say even as he said it._

_"Exactly," Luke spat. "Where's the glory in repeating what others have done? All the gods know how to do is replay their past. My heart wasn't in it. The dragon in the garden gave me this" — he pointed angrily at his scar — "and when I came back, all I got was pity. I wanted to pull Olympus down stone by stone right then, but I bided my time. I began to dream of Kronos. He convinced me to steal something worthwhile, something no hero had ever had the courage to take. When we went on that winter-solstice field trip, while the other campers were asleep, I snuck into the throne room and took Zeus's master bolt right from his chair. Hades' helm of darkness, too. You wouldn't believe how easy it was. The Olympians are so arrogant; they never dreamed someone would dare steal from them. Their security is horrible. I was halfway across New Jersey before I heard the storms rumbling, and I knew they'd discovered my theft."_

_My breath caught in my throat. This guy sounded insane._

_The scorpion was sitting on Percy's knee now, staring at him with its glittering eyes. "So why didn't you bring the items to Kronos?"_

_Luke's smile wavered. "I... I got overconfident. Zeus sent out his sons and daughters to find the stolen bolt — Artemis, Apollo, my father, Hermes. But it was Ares who caught me. I could have beaten him, but I wasn't careful enough. He disarmed me, took the items of power, threatened to return them to Olympus and burn me alive. Said he could hurt Clara to get to me. Then Kronos's voice came to me and told me what to say. I put the idea in Ares's head about a great war between the gods. I said all he had to do was hide the items away for a while and watch the others fight. Ares got a wicked gleam in his eyes. I knew he was hooked. He let me go, and I returned to Olympus before anyone noticed my absence." Luke drew his new sword. He ran his thumb down the flat of the blade, as if he were hypnotized by its beauty._

_"Afterward, the Lord of the Titans... h-he punished me with nightmares. I swore not to fail again. Back at Camp Half-Blood, in my dreams, I was told that a second hero would arrive, one who could be tricked into taking the bolt and the helm the rest of the way — from Ares down to Tartarus."_

_"You summoned the hellhound, that night in the forest."_

_"We had to make Chiron think the camp wasn't safe for you, so he would start you on your quest. We had to confirm his fears that Hades was after you. And it worked."_

_"The flying shoes were cursed," Percy said, which only made the littlest bit of sense because of Clara's winged shoes. "They were supposed to drag me and the backpack into Tartarus."_

_"And they would have, if you'd been wearing them. But you gave them to the satyr, which wasn't part of the plan. Grover messes up everything he touches. He even confused the curse."_

_Luke looked down at the scorpion, which was now sitting on Percy's thigh. "You should have died in Tartarus, Percy. But don't worry, I'll leave you with my little friend to set things right."_

_"Thalia gave her life to save you," He said, gritting my teeth. "And this is how you repay her?"_

_"Don't speak of Thalia!" he shouted. "The gods let her die! That's one of the many things they will pay for."_

_"You're being used, Luke. You and Ares both. Don't listen to Kronos."_

_"I've been used?" Luke's voice turned shrill. "Look at yourself. What has your dad ever done for you? Kronos will rise. You've only delayed his plans. He will cast the Olympians into Tartarus and drive humanity back to their caves. All except the strongest — the ones who serve him."_

_"Clara was on the quest," Percy pointed out, "Would you have let Kronos kill her too?"_

_It might have worked, but Luke was already furious. "She wasn't supposed to be there, but she'll fight with me. Not them."_

_Percy didn't reply for a second, which made sense. From what I knew about her, I didn't think it'd be easy to counter that point._

_"Call off the bug," He said instead. "If you're so strong, fight me yourself"_

_Luke smiled. "Nice try, Percy. But I'm not Ares. You can't bait me. My lord is waiting, and he's got plenty of quests for me to undertake."_

_"Luke—"_

_"Good-bye, Percy. There is a new Golden Age coming. You won't be part of it."_

_He slashed his sword in an arc and disappeared in a ripple of darkness._

_The scorpion lunged._

_Everything went black. I screamed and darted to where Percy had been. There was nothing I could have done, but I couldn’t bear the thought of just leaving him to die._

_My dream reformed. The ghostly purple bonfire cast shadows across the trees. My eyes stung from smoke, and the ground was so warm, the soles of my boots felt sticky._

_A voice from the dark rumbled, “You forget your duty.”_

_I couldn’t see him, but it was definitely my least favourite giant — the one who called himself Enceladus. I looked around for any sign of my father, but the pole where he’d been chained was no longer there._

_“Where is he?” I demanded. “What’ve you done with him?”_

_The giant’s laugh was like lava hissing down a volcano. “His body is safe enough, though I fear the poor man’s mind can’t take much more of my company. For some reason he finds me—disturbing. You must hurry, girl, or I fear there will be little left of him to save.”_

_“Let him go!” I screamed. “Take me instead. He’s just a mortal!”_

_“But, my dear,” the giant rumbled, “we must prove our love for our parents. That’s what I’m doing. Show me you value your father’s life by doing what I ask. Who’s more important—your father, or a deceitful goddess who used you, toyed with your emotions, manipulated your memories, eh? What is Hera to you?”_

_I began to tremble. So much anger and fear boiled inside me, I could hardly talk. “You’re asking me to betray my friends.”_

_“Sadly, my dear, your friends are destined to die. Their quest is impossible. Even if you succeeded, you heard the prophecy: unleashing Hera’s rage would mean your destruction. The only question now—will you die with your friends, or live with your father?”_

_The bonfire roared. I tried to step back, but my feet were heavy, so heavy I realized the ground was pulling me down, clinging to my boots like wet sand. When I looked up, a shower of purple sparks had spread across the sky, and the sun was rising in the east. A patchwork of cities glowed in the valley below, and far to the west, over a line of rolling hills, I saw a familiar landmark rising from a sea of fog._

_“Why are you showing me this?” I asked. “You’re revealing where you are.”_

_“Yes, you know this place,” the giant said. “Lead your friends here instead of their true destination, and I will deal with them. Or even better, arrange their deaths before you arrive. I don’t care which. Just be at the summit by noon on the solstice, and you may collect your father and go in peace.”_

_“I can’t,” I said, hating how close I was to begging. “You can’t ask me—”_

_“To betray that foolish boy Valdez, who always irritated you and is now hiding secrets from you? To give up a boyfriend you never really had? To lead a girl to her death who would trade your life to save her own? Is that more important than your own father?”_

_“I’ll find a way to defeat you,” I swore. “I’ll save my father and my friends.”_

_The giant growled in the shadows. “I was once proud too. I thought the gods could never defeat me. Then they hurled a mountain on top of me, crushed me into the ground, where I struggled for eons, half-conscious in pain. That taught me patience, girl. It taught me not to act rashly. Now I’ve clawed my way back with the help of the waking earth. I am only the first. My brethren will follow. We will not be denied our vengeance—not this time. And you, Piper McLean, need a lesson in humility. I’ll show you how easily your rebellious spirit can be brought to earth.”_

The dream dissolved. And I woke up screaming, free-falling through the air.


	14. fourteen | we take a fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What happened to them was a special kind of awful."

**xiv**

**clara**

**December, 2015**

We tumbled through the sky. Far below I saw city lights glimmering in the early dawn, and several hundred yards away the body of the bronze dragon spinning out of control, its wings limp, fire flickering in its mouth like a badly wired light bulb.

We were so dead.

A body shot past me — Leo, screaming and frantically grabbing at the clouds. “Not coooooool!”

I tried to call to him, but he was already too far below.

Even with my winged shoes, I plummeted downwards at about the same speed as Leo. The wings flapped desperately but they couldn’t seem to slow the fall. _So helpful_.

Somewhere above us, Jason yelled, “Piper, level out! Extend your arms and legs!”

I tried to look up at Piper and Jason, but it wasn’t easy. From the few snapshots I could grab I could see Piper did what he said and regained some balance. She fell spread-eagle like a skydiver. Then Jason was there, wrapping his arms around her waist.

“We have to get Leo and Clara!” she shouted. _Aww. That was sweet_.

Their fall slowed as Jason controlled the winds, but they still lurched up and down like the winds didn’t want to cooperate. Venti again, wonderful. Could this get any better?

“Gonna get rough,” Jason warned. _What, no way?_ “Hold on!”

Piper locked her arms around him, and Jason shot toward the ground. They slammed into Leo, who was still wriggling and cursing.

“Stop fighting!” Jason said. “It’s me!” I pushed myself toward them, trying to get my shoes to cooperate. The wind rushed against my skin like knives. My heart thundered in my ears.

“My dragon!” Leo yelled. “You gotta save Festus!”

Jason was already struggling to keep the three of them aloft, and I knew there was no way he could help a fifty-ton metal dragon. But before anyone could try to tell Leo, we heard an explosion below us. A fireball rolled into the sky from behind a warehouse complex, and Leo sobbed, “Festus!”

Jason’s face reddened with strain as he tried to maintain an air cushion beneath them, but intermittent slow-downs were the best he could manage.

“Clara!” Jason called to me, I’d managed to slow my fall a little but nowhere near enough to make a landing safe. _Brilliant_. Even if Jason could have helped me as well as the rest of them, I was too far down to reach and rescue before we all became pancakes.

“I’m good!” I called to him, which I’m guessing we both knew was a lie, but it was the best I could do at the moment.

I closed my eyes tight, taking a second to think of how much of a stupid way this would be to die as I tried not to remember falling into Tartarus the same way, Kronos’s hands on my back, and Luke’s rapidly shrinking face as I screamed.

When I opened my eyes, I could make out details of the factory complex below — warehouses, smokestacks, barbed-wire fences, and parking lots lined with snow-covered vehicles. We were still high enough so that hitting the ground would flatten us into road kill—or sky kill I guess.

Jason must have blacked out briefly, because the three of them dropped like stones.

We hit the roof of the largest warehouse and crashed through into darkness.

For a few seconds after we landed, I wasn’t conscious of anything but pain — pain so bad that my ears rang and my vision went white. Something must’ve cut my face, because blood was in my eyes. Half my calf felt like it was ripped open.

Piper was next to me, I could make that much out through the gloom. Unfortunately, Piper must have tried to land on her feet. Her feet obviously didn’t like that.

I heard Jason’s voice somewhere below, echoing through the building. “Clara! Piper! Where are you?”

“Ow, bro!” Leo groaned. “That’s my back! I’m not a sofa! Pipes, Blondie, where’d you go?”

_Blondie?_ I felt mildly insulted for a minute, before remembering that I’d referred to Jason as Blondie for ages when I’d first met him, so I didn’t have a leg to stand on in the slightest – like Piper.

_Oh my god_ , I thought to myself, _shut up_.

I’d like to have blamed the ADHD for my terrible sense of humour, but that would be lying. Ethan always said I should stop joking, it only made situations worse.

“Here,” she managed, her voice a whimper.

We heard shuffling and grunting from the boys, then their feet pounding on metal steps.

I looked at Piper’s foot, and wave of nausea swept over me. Her toes weren’t supposed to point that way, were they?

The hole we’d made in the roof was a ragged starburst twenty feet above. How they’d even survived that drop, I wasn’t completely sure, demigod constitution was the only thing I could think to put it down to – I’d have to ask Chiron.

Hanging from the ceiling, a few electric bulbs flickered dimly, but they didn’t do much to light the enormous space. Next to Piper and I, the corrugated metal wall was emblazoned with a company logo, but it was almost completely spray-painted over with graffiti. Down in the shadowy warehouse, I could make out huge machines, robotic arms, and half-finished trucks on an assembly line. The place looked like it had been abandoned for years. Why did I always end up in the settings of future horror films?

I reached out to Piper and she grabbed my arm, all over again, I felt sorry for her; she’d never been on a quest before, had barely even found out she was a demigod, and then she was tossed into this mess.

“Piper,” I said softly, trying to be calm and comforting the way I used to be before everything went to hell, “You still with me?” Piper nodded and clenched her eyes shut. My other hand rested on Piper’s knee as I shifted to get a better look at her ankle.

“Ouch,” I winced in sympathy, I looked around and sighed in relief when I spotted the two boys approaching us. “Jason and Leo will be here in a second, then you’ll get some ambrosia.”

Piper nodded thanks and gripped my hand tighter, I rubbed a circle on the back of Piper’s hand comfortingly with my thumb.

Jason and Leo reached us. Against my will, relief flooded through me. Jason's face, creased in concern, still managed to look level and calm, like he had a plan to get us out.

Leo started to ask, “You okay…?” Then he saw her foot. “Oh no, you’re not.”

“Thanks for the reassurance,” Piper groaned.

“You’ll be fine,” Jason said reassuringly, though I could hear the worry in his voice. “Leo, you got any first aid supplies?”

“Yeah — yeah, sure.” He dug around in his tool belt and pulled out a wad of gauze and a roll of duct tape — both of which seemed too big for the belt’s pockets. I had noticed the tool belt yesterday morning, but I hadn’t thought to ask Leo about it. It didn’t look like anything special — just one of those wraparound leather aprons with a bunch of pockets, like a blacksmith or a carpenter might wear. And it seemed to be empty. Gift from his father probably.

“How did you—” Piper tried to sit up, and winced. “How did pull that stuff from an empty belt?”

“Magic,” Leo said. “Haven’t figure it out completely, but I can summon just about any regular tool out of the pockets, plus some other helpful stuff.” He reached into another pocket and pulled out a little tin box. “Breath mint?”

Jason snatched away the mints. “That’s great, Leo. Now, can you fix her foot?”

“Ambrosia,” I cut in, letting Piper squeeze my hand and smiling her as best I could, “There should be some in Piper’s bag, if it’s not crushed.”

Jason carefully pulled her backpack off Piper’s shoulders while I lifted her torso up to help him. He rummaged through the supplies the Aphrodite kids had packed for her, and found a Ziploc full of smashed pastry squares like lemon bars. He broke off a piece and fed it to her.

“Gimmie,” I said to Jason, not moving my arm from around Piper. He looked up at me, halfway to laughing and handed me a square.

As soon as I ate it, I felt better – like I was back in New Orleans with Luke and Tori. We used to get a milkshake each from MacDonald’s every Sunday and I could taste it now. The cold strawberry sugar and the sun on my skin, Luke laughing and Tori's fingers braiding my hair. 

“More,” Piper said.

I frowned in concern. “Piper, we shouldn’t risk it. They said too much could burn you up. I think I should try to set your foot.”

Piper didn’t look too confident. “Have you ever done that before?”

“Yep.” I didn’t offer any more information, but Piper relaxed a bit nonetheless. The truth was, I’d set Luke’s foot once when we were on the run, I’d seen him set Thalia’s shoulder after she dislocated it, I think I'd set my own in the pit once after I’d messed it up, although I couldn't remember exactly, and watched Luke set mine after Mom threw me into a counter during one of her episodes one time.

I couldn’t really tell Piper that, and I don’t think it would have made her any more confident.

Leo found an old piece of wood and broke it in half for a splint. Then he got the gauze and duct tape ready.

“Hold her leg still,” I told Jason. “Piper, this is going to hurt.”

When I set the foot, Piper flinched so hard she punched Leo in the arm, and he yelled almost as much as she did. When Piper could breathe normally again, she found that her foot was pointing the right way, her ankle splinted with plywood, gauze, and duct tape.

“Ow,” she said.

“Jeez, beauty queen!” Leo rubbed his arm. “Glad my face wasn’t there.”

“Sorry,” she said. “And don’t call me ‘beauty queen,’ or I’ll punch you again.” I couldn’t help grinning.

“You did great.” Jason found a canteen in Piper’s pack and gave her some water. After a few minutes, her stomach began to calm down.

Once Piper wasn’t screaming in pain, I could hear the wind howling outside. Snowflakes fluttered through the hole in the roof, and after our meeting with Khione, snow was the last thing I wanted to see.

“What happened to the dragon?” she asked. “Where are we?”

Leo’s expression turned sullen. “I don’t know with Festus. He just jerked sideways like he hit an invisible wall and started to fall.” Leo pointed to the logo on the wall. “As far as where we are…” It was hard to see through the graffiti, but I could make out a large red eye with the stencilled words: monocle motors, assembly plant 1.

“Closed car plant,” Leo said. “I’m guessing we crash-landed in Detroit.”

I had heard about closed car plants in Detroit, so that made sense. But it seemed like a pretty depressing place to land.

“How far is that from Chicago?” Piper asked.

Jason handed her the canteen. “Maybe three-fourths of the way from Quebec? The thing is, without the dragon, we’re stuck traveling overland.”

“No way,” I said. “It isn’t safe.” I thought what about King Boreas had said about the earth yielding up more horrors. “Boreas was right. Besides, we don’t know if Piper can walk. And three people — Jason, you can’t fly that many across country by yourself.”

“No,” Jason agreed. “Leo, are you sure the dragon didn’t malfunction? I mean, Festus is old, and—”

“And I might not have repaired him right?”

“I didn’t say that,” Jason protested, looking annoyed with himself for putting his foot in his mouth. “It’s just—maybe you could fix it.”

“I don’t know.” Leo sounded crestfallen. He pulled a few screws out of his pockets and started fiddling with them. “I’d have to find where he landed, if he’s even in one piece.”

“It was my fault.” Piper said, sounding over tired and upset.

“Piper,” Jason said gently, “you were asleep when Festus conked out. It couldn’t be your fault.”

“Yeah, you’re just shaken up,” Leo agreed. He didn’t even try to make a joke at her expense. “You’re in pain. Just rest.”

“Boreas threatened us, Pipes,” I reminded her, not moving my arm, “It was probably just the ice pricks messing with us.”

Leo stood. “Look, um, Jason, why don’t you and Clara stay with her, bro? I’ll scout around for Festus. I think he fell outside the warehouse somewhere. If I can find him, maybe I can figure out what happened and fix him.”

“It’s too dangerous,” Jason said. “You shouldn’t go by yourself.”

“Ah, I got duct tape and breath mints. I’ll be fine,” Leo said, a little too quickly, and I realized he was a lot more shaken up than he was letting on. “You guys just don’t run off without me.”

“I’ll go down and try to see if there’s anything salvageable we can use for transport down there.” I said, standing up awkwardly around my injuries. “I may not be as good as Spanners with mechanics, but cars I get.”

Leo sent me an amused look, “Spanners?” I just shrugged and sent him a grin which he returned.

Leo reached into his magic tool belt, pulled out two flashlights, threw one to me and headed down the stairs. I turned to follow him and Jason caught my arm.

"Be careful," He said, but it sounded almost like there was more to it.

I glanced up, trying to hold eye contact but failing – it was like the conversation we'd had on Festus all over again. I could feel heat prickling at my skin. "I promise. You too." He nodded and let go of my arm. Instantly, I felt cold. Trying my best to ignore it, I followed Leo down the steps.

“Your foot looks better,” I heard Jason offer as I awkwardly walked down the stairs with Leo. We shared a look and both laughed slightly.

We walked in silence for a minute, before I said “Maia” quietly, remembering I had flying shoes and didn’t actually have to walk on an injured leg. _This is why you got put in Tartarus,_ I joked to myself.

“So,” Leo asked me as we reached the bottom of the steps, Jason and Piper’s conversation fading. “How badly is the quest going compared to normal?”

Part of me wanted to laugh – the hell did I know about normal? But I thought that would be unhelpful, even for me. “Not the worst,” I said as fairly as I could, “When we went to free Artemis Annabeth fell over the side of a cliff.”

Leo looked at me for a second, and it dawned on me how weird that must have sounded out of context. “Right.” He nodded. “How careless of her.” It was obviously sarcastic, and it made me laugh. It echoed eerily around the factory which did nothing to dispel the horror movie vibes.

“Nah, she was killing a monster headmaster that attacked Hades’ kids.” The reminder of Bianca and Nico di Angelo forced a lump in my throat. What happened to them was a special kind of awful. I hadn’t see Nico for a while and I was worried about the kid, he was way too young to be out completely on his own but I understood why he wasn’t around camp too much. I think, if I could read his body language right, that he had a crush on Percy, which probably wasn't helped by them not being very subtle about their relationship. It was one of the many reasons I hadn’t stuck around either.

“See ya.” I nodded to Leo, still mostly absorbed in my head.

“Catch ya later, Blondie.” Blondie was sticking around apparently. Okay then.

I headed to the left while Leo went over to the doors, there were some cars left out, not many near enough to being ready that I could fix them up.

I sighed, wondering towards the cars without much hope for anything coming out of it. That was a pretty normal state for me, all those months I’d spent travelling hadn’t been an adventure or anything. I know how much danger I was putting myself in when I left; for a demigod to go off alone in the United States was stupid, for a demigod to go off alone throughout the world, where back up couldn’t reach me if I needed it, was suicidally reckless.

Chiron had talked to me about it at one point, when I walked up to the Big House the night after Luke died and we won the war to ask permission to leave. I didn’t really get it, but I didn’t care. I had to get out. Funnily enough, it was the first time I’d really understood Nico di Angelo.

He’d lost Bianca and run but never been stupid enough to betray Camp Half Blood. He was a better person that I was, which surprised nobody (except maybe Luke, but he was biased so that didn’t count).

Anyway, Chiron had warned me not to go, he’d told me how likely I was to die and the most I could remember was being stood in the living room, the same on Piper been lying in the other day, crying uncontrollably. I think he hugged me, but I couldn’t be sure.

The argument I’d had with my father had still been ringing in my ears, the anger was still pumping through my veins, I’d wanted to put my hands over them until I blocked it out and curl up like a little girl, but Luke was dead, so there wasn’t anyone to cry with was there?

I’d eventually got some kind of permission from him. He’d made me promise to call Camp occasionally, which I said I would (and did, kind of, I called once a month, but I think he wanted me to call much more regularly). He’d let me go, giving me a fistful of notes to try and give me some help. I had walked for a few miles, before I came to an abandoned car and unlocked it with a brush of my fingers, sliding into the seat and driving until the sun rose.

Part of me wanted to distract myself, but a lot of me was genuinely curious and I wondered what Piper and Jason were talking about, was Piper starting to feel better yet? The ambrosia should’ve kicked in by now. Was she still in love with him? Or felt like she was?

I couldn’t imagine how rough this was on her, thinking she had a stable boyfriend and a normal life, only to suddenly be thrown into a place where she was the daughter of a goddess infamous for sleeping around and required to complete a deadly quest that would probably get us all killed.

The lined of the prophecy sprung into my head: _Death unleashed through Hera’s rage._ Then why were we saving her? I wanted to scream, but it was useless, no one would hear. Death was funny really, it took and took until there was nothing left. Annabeth understood, I wished suddenly that I could talk to her the way we did when we were younger. Little girls in Camp’s strawberry fields, playing capture the flag and scaling the climbing wall. I remember the quests we went on with Percy, finding Zeus’s lightning bolt, rescuing Grover from his impending wedding and finding the Golden Fleece, saving Artemis and holding up the sky. When we went into war together. Always by each other’s sides.

Of course, I’d been jealous of her initially. I was a petty bitch then too. She’d needed more care from Luke, and I wasn’t used to it not being me, him and Thalia. I suppose that should’ve been the red flag that Luke and I had co-dependency issues. When I’d pulled myself together a bit, we’d been inseparable.

Well, until I messed that all up too. It was all I usually did.

Somewhere between defending my big brother and loathing my father, I'd managed to drive a wedge between Percy and I that I couldn't talk my way out of. Even the last time Percy and I had spoken to each other had gone awfully. Instead of saying something decent to the boy I'd been friends with since I was twelve, I'd said something that, while true, was needlessly cruel even by my standards.

I'd pretty much cut myself off from Thalia and Grover while running too. Instead of calling them – ever – I'd left it alone. Maybe I thought it was best at the time, or maybe I just hadn't thought of it? I couldn't tell. Guilt from what that must have made them think pooled, thick and burning, in my stomach.

After Luke died, it felt like I'd died too. I'd just never… tried, I guess, to live outside of him. Before the war, I'd never had to, he was everything to me. Then he'd hosted Kronos and the only person I'd been able to turn to was Ethan Nakamura, who was lonelier more than anything else. I'd wanted to help him, I think, but I was never going to be able to do that intellectually. It was alright, there were other ways.

I like feeling useful. But then Ethan died to and I was alone again. After a few weeks of driving randomly and crying – there was a lot of crying – I'd spoken to Tori for the first time in years. It was hard and there was a lot I couldn't explain to her, but she was _there_ and _alive_ , which was more than other people I loved. But as much as I cared about her, I couldn't talk to her about the Pit or the war or any of it.

Now, I couldn't face Annabeth or Percy. I felt like I was drowning, but there was nothing I could say, like there was no way to ask for help anymore, I’d burned all my bridges to get some distance, but I’d isolated myself.

See what I mean, not very intellectual? Yeah, me too.

I sighed, running my fingers along the closest car and hearing the engine rumble to life, one of the few things I actually like about being a Hermes kid – joyriding’s fun too. It wasn’t the best car out there, and travelling by road was undesirable, but it might be our only option if Leo couldn’t repair Festus.

The thought made me unexpectedly unhappy, I was really starting to like Happy the Dragon. He couldn’t communicate with anyone except Leo, that was true, but he felt like a benevolent presence in a way. I was sure he was a good omen too. Losing him was definitely not one.

There was a heavy footstep from behind me, and my guard was up instantly. It wasn’t Leo, I knew that. I had to turn around and look at whatever it was, but my body felt like it was frozen. I hate quests so much.

“Hey Clara,” Jason’s voice said, “Gimmie a hand grabbing some food?”

There was no way that was Jason. It might have been his voice, but he never really used that tone, he was kinder, more gentle but more serious too. The voice sounded like it was mocking me.

My blood ran cold when it hit me what the monster was. Cyclopes had terrified me since a houseful of them caught Luke, Thalia, Annabeth and I. I’d swear blind Tyson was the only decent one in existence.

I could remember that house like it happened yesterday. Wriggling in the roped that tied me as Luke and Thalia were passed out, seeing the fire in the middle of the room and knowing that the monsters were planning to roast us over it, knowing Annabeth was somewhere out there and putting my jealousy of Annabeth aside for once to hope that she’d be able to help us, trying to talk the monsters out of eating Luke and Thalia. It’s funny, even then, I didn’t really care too much weather I lived or died.

Unsheathing Kleftis and her twin, Klevo I turned to face the Cyclopes and attacked. They’d both been made by Luke, half mortal steel and half celestial bronze – they were lethal.

The Cyclopes obviously hadn’t been expecting the attack, because it took him a few seconds to respond. I got a few good slashes down his face and a stab wound to his stomach. He brought his broad sword down to slice my arm off, but I dropped to the floor and rolled (which was very painful with an injured leg) before jumping back up to slam the butt of Klevo into his head.

If I was Jason’s size, I bet he would’ve been knocked out, but I was approximately the size of a munchkin, so he shook his head to clear it and went right back to attacking me. I thrust Kleftis into his eye and he roared in pain (point to me).

Ducking another wild swing of his, I feigned a move to his left before slashing at his right side. Unfortunately for me, he saw that coming. His sword slammed into my side before I could dodge properly and pain radiated down my side in agonising waves. I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t get the sound past my lips.

I needed to warn Piper, Jason and Leo, but I couldn’t. I dropped like a stone.

Maybe this would end up being what killed me?

That would suck, but I was somewhat reconciled to it.


	15. fifteen | the weight of the world

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I screamed so loudly I could hear nothing else. My vision was white. My ears rang. On instinct, I reached up with my arms to hold onto the rocks, and it was a good thing I did, because the bit of cliff I’d been thrown into was weak, it began to crumble away, tumbling down the cliff to the monsters below.
> 
> I had a single, horrifying moment to think this is how I’m going to go.

**xv**

**clara**

**December, 2015**

_I was on the floor, unable to move with my entire body burning with agony._

_I looked at Annabeth sideways. She was desperately trying to tell Percy something. She motioned her head toward Luke. But all Percy could do was stare at her. Her blonde hair was streaked with grey, and I imagined mine would be too if I could see it._

_"From holding the sky," Thalia muttered, as if she'd read Percy’s mind. "The weight should've killed her." It was strange, I could only half hear Thalia, like she was speaking through water or jelly._

_"I don't understand," Percy said. "Why can't Artemis just let go of the sky?"_

_Atlas laughed. "How little you understand, young one. This is the point where the sky and the earth first met, where Ouranos and Gaia first brought forth their mighty children, the Titans. The sky still yearns to embrace the earth. Someone must hold it at bay, or else it would crush down upon this place, instantly flattening the mountain and everything within a hundred leagues. Once you have taken the burden, there is no escape." Atlas smiled. "Unless someone else takes it from you."_

_He approached them, studying Thalia and Percy. "So these are the best heroes of the age, eh? Not much of a challenge."_

_"Fight us," Percy said. "And let's see."_

_I wished I could get up, stand up and help Percy fight, but my bones felt like they’d all cracked and snapped under the weight of the sky. Annabeth’s hand reached out for mine and I understood: we’d have to get up and fight in a minute, despite all the pain and exhaustion, with Annabeth next to me and Percy in danger I was completely ready to._

_"Have the gods taught you nothing? An immortal does not fight a mere mortal directly. It is beneath our dignity. I will have Luke crush you instead."_

_"So you're another coward," Percy said._

_"As for you, daughter of Zeus, it seems Luke was wrong about you." He wasn’t, not at all. Thalia was the most powerful demigod I’d ever met, I’d never seen her back down from anything and I knew if it came to it she could beat Luke in a fight – he wouldn’t ever hurt her, he couldn’t._

_"I wasn't wrong," Luke managed. He looked terribly weak, and he spoke every word as if it were painful. All I wanted to do was reach out to him and help him the way he’s always helped me. "Thalia, you still can join us. Call the Ophiotaurus. It will come to you. Look!"_

_He waved his hand, and next to us a pool of water appeared: a pond ringed in black marble, big enough for the Ophiotaurus. I could imagine the creature (what did Percy name him? Bessie?) In that pool._

_"Thalia, call the Ophiotaurus," Luke persisted. "And you will be more powerful than the gods."_

_"Luke…" Her voice was full of pain. "What happened to you?"_

_"Don't you remember all those times we talked? All those times we cursed the gods? Our fathers have done nothing for us. They have no right to rule the world!"_

_Thalia shook her head. "Free Annabeth and Clara. Let them go."_

_"If you join me," Luke promised, "it can be like old times. The four of us together. Fighting for a better world. Please, Thalia, if you don't agree…"_

_His voice faltered. "It's my last chance. He will use the other way if you don't agree. Please."_

_I didn't know what he meant, but the fear in his voice sounded real enough. I believed that Luke was in danger, I wanted to scream at Thalia to help him, to do whatever she had to, but I knew I couldn’t. That wasn’t fair, Thalia wouldn’t want the world that Kronos would create, neither did I to be honest, we both just wanted Luke to stop._

_His life depended on Thalia's joining his cause._

_"Do not, Thalia," Zoe warned. "We must fight them."_

_Luke waved his hand again, and a fire appeared. A bronze brazier, just like the one at camp. A sacrificial flame._

_"Thalia," Percy said. "No."_

_Behind Luke, the golden sarcophagus began to glow. As it did, I saw images in the mist all around us: black marble walls rising, the ruins becoming whole, a terrible and beautiful palace rising around us, made of fear and shadow. I saw the Gods in the place of the Titans, my father being eaten by crows day after day after day._

_"We will raise Mount Othrys right here," Luke promised, in a voice so strained it was hardly his. "Once more, it will be stronger and greater than Olympus. Look, Thalia. We are not weak."_

_He pointed toward the ocean. Marching up the side of the mountain, from the beach where the Princess Andromeda was docked, was a great army. Dracaenae and Laestrygonians, monsters and half-bloods, hell hounds, harpies, and other things I couldn't even name. The whole ship must've been emptied, because there were hundreds, many more than I'd seen on board last summer. And they were marching toward us. In a few minutes, they would be here._

_"This is only a taste of what is to come," Luke said. "Soon we will be ready to storm Camp Half-Blood. And after that, Olympus itself. All we need is your help."_

_For a moment, Thalia hesitated. She gazed at Luke, her eyes full of pain, as if the only thing she wanted in the world was to believe him. Then she levelled her spear. "You aren't Luke. I don't know you anymore."_

_"Yes, you do, Thalia," he pleaded. "Please. Don't make me… Don't make him destroy you."_

_“Luke please,” I begged him, trying to raise my head to look at him anymore, everything in my body burned with pain. “Please calm down.”_

_Percy met Annabeth's eyes again. She nodded. Percy looked at Thalia, Zoe and me, we nodded too._

_"Now," He said._

_Together, we charged._

_Thalia went straight for Luke. The power of her shield was so great that his dragon-women bodyguards fled in a panic, dropping the golden coffin and leaving him alone. But despite his sickly appearance, Luke was still quick with his sword. He snarled like a wild animal and counterattacked. When his sword, Backbiter, met Thalia's shield, a ball of lightning erupted between them, frying the air with yellow tendrils of power._

_As for me, I did the stupidest thing in my life, which is saying a lot. Percy had the same idea and together we attacked Atlas._

_He laughed as we approached. A huge javelin appeared in his hands. His silk suit melted into full Greek battle armor. "Go on, then!"_

_"Percy! Clara!" Zoe said. "Beware!"_

_I knew what she was warning me about. Chiron had told me long ago: Immortals are constrained by ancient rules. But a hero can go anywhere, challenge anyone, as long as they have the nerve. Once we attacked, however, Atlas was free to attack back directly, with all his might._

_I knew we were done for, but I didn’t care. Titans took my brother from me and twisted him into something cruel. I didn’t care what it cost me, I wanted to make them pay._

_Percy swung his sword, and Atlas knocked him aside with the shaft of his javelin. He flew through the air and slammed into a black wall. It wasn't Mist anymore. The palace was rising, brick by brick. It was becoming real. Drawing Kleftis and Klevo I slashed them down across him diagonally, drawing some blood. He sucker punched me and sent my flying across the other side of the cave. I hit the wall and slid to the bottom, spitting out blood and gasping desperately for air._

_"Fool!" Atlas screamed gleefully, swatting aside one of Zoe's arrows. "Did you think, simply because you could challenge that petty war god, that you could stand up to me?"_

_The mention of Ares made Percy shake off his daze and charged again. If he could get to that pool of water, he could double my strength._

_The javelins point slashed toward him like a scythe. He raised Riptide, but his sword arm dipped, as though he’d lost all his strength. I remembered Ares's warning, spoken on the beach in Los Angeles so long ago:_ When you need it most, your sword will fail you.

_He tried to dodge, but the javelin caught him in the chest and sent me flying like a rag doll. He slammed into the ground, at the feet of Artemis, who was still straining under the weight of the sky._

_"Run, boy," she told him. "You must run!"_

_Atlas was taking his time coming toward Percy and I knew he needed a distraction. Luke and Thalia were fighting like demons, lightning crackling around them. Annabeth was on the ground, desperately struggling to free her hands. I stood, forced myself towards Atlas and threw Klevo into his bollocks._

_Yeah, that was a bitch move, but I heard Percy snort despite the situation, so I reckon I was doing okay. He was distracted for a second, so I shouted “Maia!” and flew up to slash Kleftis across his face. I reeled backwards, avoiding a probably fatal blow to my head and retrieved Klevo._

_That time, I wasn’t fast enough, just as I flew back up to attack again, he grabbed my waist and tossed me out of the cave._

_"Die, little hero," Atlas roared to Percy._

_"No!" Zoe yelled, but I couldn’t see what happened._

_My back slammed into a pointy bit of the mountain, and I heard a crack before the blinding pain shot through me. I screamed so loudly I could hear nothing else. My vision was white. My ears rang. On instinct, I reached up with my arms to hold onto the rocks, and it was a good thing I did, because the bit of cliff I’d been thrown into was weak, it began to crumble away, tumbling down the cliff to the monsters below._

_I had a single, horrifying moment to think_ this is how I’m going to go, _before what I was holding onto cracked ominously._

_Thalia and Luke went spear on sword, lightning still flashing around them. Thalia pressed Luke back with the aura of her shield. Even he was not immune to it. He retreated, wincing and growling in frustration. He was getting closer and closer to the cliff, to me._

_"Yield!" Thalia yelled. "You never could beat me, Luke."_

_He bared his teeth. "We’ll see, my old friend."_

_“Yield and help you sister!” Thalia tried, gesturing to me as I tried to scramble up crumbling rock, it was no use, my body was broken and bleeding. Sweat poured down my face. My hands were slippery. My shoulders would've screamed with agony if they could. Holding the sky and done so much damage and now this. I knew I couldn’t hold on for much longer, but I couldn’t leave Luke either._

_Atlas advanced, pressing Artemis who’d had her place taken under the sky by Percy. She was fast, but his strength was unstoppable. His javelin slammed into the earth where Artemis had been a split second before, and a fissure opened in the rocks, which was not good for me. He leaped over it and kept pursuing her. She was leading him back toward the sky I realised with a manic laugh._

_"You fight well for a girl." Atlas laughed. "But you are no match for me."_

_He feinted with the tip of his javelin and Artemis dodged. I saw the trick coming. Atlas's javelin swept around and knocked Artemis's legs off the ground. She fell, and Atlas brought up his javelin tip for the kill._

_"No!" Zoe screamed. She leaped between her father and Artemis and shot an arrow straight into the Titan's forehead, where it lodged like a unicorn's horn. Atlas bellowed in rage. He swept aside his daughter with the back of his hand, sending her flying into the black rocks._

_I wanted to shout her name, run to her aid, but I couldn't speak or move. I couldn't even see where Zoe had landed. Then Atlas turned on Artemis with a look of triumph in his face. Artemis seemed to be wounded. She didn't get up._

_"The first blood in a new war," Atlas gloated. And he stabbed downward._

_As fast as thought, Artemis grabbed his javelin shaft. It hit the earth right next to her and she pulled backward, using the javelin like a lever, kicking the Titan Lord and sending him flying over her and as Atlas slammed into Percy he didn't try to hold on. He let himself be pushed out of the way and rolled._

_The weight of the sky dropped onto Atlas's back, almost smashing him flat until he managed to get to his knees, struggling to get out from under the crushing weight of the sky. But it was too late._

_"Noooooo!" He bellowed so hard it shook the mountain. "Not again!"_

_Atlas was trapped under his old burden._

_I looked away, attempting to pull myself to safety, but I just slipped further down the cliff until I was hanging on by my fingertips. Percy and Annabeth yelled, moving towards me but I couldn’t focus on her. I screamed for Luke but Thalia had backed him to the edge of the cliff already, but still they fought on, next to the golden coffin. Thalia had tears in her eyes. Luke had a bloody slash across his chest and his pale face glistened with sweat._

_He lunged at Thalia and she slammed him with her shield. Luke's sword spun out of his hands and clattered to the rocks. Thalia put her spear point to his throat._

_For a moment, there was silence._

_"Well?" Luke asked. He tried to hide it, but I could hear fear in his voice._

_Thalia trembled with fury._

_Behind her, Annabeth came scrambling, finally free from her bonds. Her face was bruised and streaked with dirt. "Don't kill him!"_

_"He's a traitor," Thalia said. "A traitor!"_

_“Luke!” I screamed. The words burnt my throat. “Luke! Please help me.”_

_Amid my panic, I realized that Artemis was no longer with us. She had run off toward the black rocks where Zoe had fallen._

_"We'll bring Luke back," Annabeth pleaded. "To Olympus. He… he'll be useful."_

_"Is that what you want, Thalia?" Luke sneered. "To go back to Olympus in triumph? To please your dad?"_

_Thalia hesitated, and Luke made a desperate grab for me. His hand clasped around my arm and he pulled me up towards him, into his chest, but Thalia misinterpreted. He must have looked like he was going for her spear because Annabeth reacted the same way._

_Without thinking, Thalia kicked Luke away. He lost his balance, terror on his face, and then he fell, arms still wrapped around me._

_"Luke!" Annabeth screamed._

_“Clara!” Thalia yelled, I could see her leaning over the edge of the cliff._

_“Clara!” Percy yelled, darting towards the sheer drop._

_I might have been screaming, but the air stole all the noise from me as we plummeted down. “Stay still,” Luke shouted in my ear, twisting so he’d take the impact._

_“No! Nonono! Luke!” I screamed. The ground was so close now. “Maia!” I shouted. My shoes flapped desperately and I slowed down slightly._

_It wasn’t enough._

_Luke and I hit the rocks at immense speed. Beneath me I could feel his body snapping and breaking, feel his blood and mine on my skin. Just before I blacked out I could see the army from the Princess Andromeda had stopped in amazement. They were staring at Luke's broken form on the rocks and me, crying and bleeding on him. Everything went dark._

_My dream-self woke up pretty much instantly._

_Surprisingly, I wasn’t in the fields of Punishment with someone sticking a hot poker into my heart repeatedly. I was in a well decorated room with pale walls and a vase of flowers on the top of one counter._ What the hell? _Sunlight drifted into the room through a circular window, the room rocked gently – or maybe it was just my head? My eyes adjusted and I could see someone slumped in a chair at the other side of the room and another person rifling through a draw._

_It took a second, but I recognised them as Chris Rodriquez and Ethan Nakamura._

_Then, everything that had happened hit me like a ton of bricks. I jerked upright, which must have surprised them, because Chris almost fell out of his chair._

_“Where’s Luke?” I demanded, pulling myself out of bed. I tried to walk towards them, but pain shot through my legs and I stumbled to the floor. My knees hit it painfully and I cried out._

_“Get Luke,” Chris told Ethan, shoving him to get him moving. My eyes burned. How could he say that? Luke was dead I knew that, he had to be. No one could survive that._

You’re alive, _part of my brain reminded me, but I wasn’t completely sure of that so I didn’t trust it._

_Chris put his hand on my shoulders, probably to help me up, but panic made me lash out and I pushed myself backwards – too far, as it happened. My head smacked into the bedframe and I saw white for a minute. “Jesus,” Chris muttered to himself, pulling me up with much less resistance this time, “How does Luke deal with you?”_

_A sob worked up my throat at that and Chris looked slightly terrified. At camp, he’d always disappeared out of the cabin whenever one of the girls started crying._

_He cursed, getting me to sit on the bed and putting arm round me. “Don’t cry, Luke will slaughter me.”_

_I didn’t understand, but there wasn’t time to ask, because heavy footsteps were running down the corridor outside and the door was thrown open._

_Luke._

_My heart swelled so much it almost burst out of my chest. I don’t think I’ve ever smiled so much in my life. The pain be damned, I shot towards Luke, who pulled me close and hugged me tighter than I could remember. I pressed my face against his neck, crying, laughing and breathing him in all at once._

_Chris and Ethan must have left the room to give us some privacy, but I hadn’t paid enough attention to actually notice them._

_After a while, Luke sat down next to me on the bed and started explaining. He was getting a blessing that basically meant he couldn’t be killed unless he was struck on his Achilles spot – when he said that he pointed to a spot on his arm that wouldn’t be an obvious target in a fight and would be almost impossible to hit anyway. He said that I took a hell of a beating, but one of the sons of Apollo that joined him, Harry Westerling, had used a lot of nectar gradually and I should be alright with some rest. That hadn’t been much of a priority to me, but I knew it was something that was bothering him and saying that out loud must have reassured him a bit._

_We were on the Princess Andromeda, in a room he’d created especially for me. Luke had thought of everything, the room was exactly to my taste. He’d gotten Ethan to agree to look after me all the time and he even shipped in some clothes and make up for me._

_He didn’t realise that I had what I wanted most, that I had it at Camp, in Mom’s house, on the streets – that having him around would always be my first priority. I tried to tell him that, stuttering out a thank you and giving him a kiss on the cheek before laying the truth out in its entirety._

_“I love you, Luke. You’ll always be the most important thing in the world to me. I promise.”_

_The last thing I saw before my dream faded was his smile, blue eyes lit up without a hint of gold._

My eyes flickered open, and I caught sight of Piper leaning over me with a nectar canteen. My clothes were drenched in blood, especially on my left side where the Cyclopes had hit me.

“Yeah, he’s got a nice thick skull,” Leo said. “I think he’s gonna be fine.” Jason, my brain clicked on. Panic surged through me, but I still couldn't make myself move.

“Thank god,” Piper sighed. Then she looked at Leo with something like fear. “How did you — the fire — have you always…?”

Leo looked down. “Always,” he said. “I’m a freaking menace. Sorry, I should’ve told you guys sooner but—”

“Sorry?” Piper punched his arm. When he looked up, she was grinning. “That was amazing, Valdez! You saved our lives. What are you sorry about?”

Leo blinked. He started to smile, but his stopped when he noticed something next to Piper’s foot.

Yellow dust — the powdered remains of one of the Cyclopes was shifting across the floor like an invisible wind was pushing it back together. I felt ill, and the light in the factory wasn’t helping so I squeezed my eyes shut again.

“They’re forming again,” Leo said. “Look.”

Piper stepped away from the dust. “That’s not possible. Clara told me monsters dissipate when they’re killed. They go back to Tartarus and can’t return for a long time.”

“They do,” I croaked from the floor. I probably looked like warmed up death, but Piper still rand her hand over my shoulder in silent support. “Or they should at least.”

“Well, nobody told the dust that.” Leo said. He sounded uneasy – first quest. Right.

“Oh, god.” Piper realise. “Boreas said something about this — the earth yielding up horrors. ‘When monsters no longer stay in Tartarus, and souls are no longer confined to Hades.’ How long do you think we have?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “But we need to get out of here.”

“Yeah,” I agreed, forcing my eyes open and pushing myself up into a sitting position. “Did you get Festus up and running, Spanners?” I asked Leo, trying not to be sick.

He grinned at me, though he looked strained and exhausted. “I’m a special boy.” He said, sliding a hammer into his tool belt.


	16. sixteen | superhero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I was confident in Thalia’s honest care in a way I never could be in Luke. I’d always known he missed Tori in complicated, confusing kind of way, and sometimes I thought if I messed up too much, he wouldn’t be able to put up with me anymore.

**xvi**

**clara**

**December, 2015**

Jason was heavier than he looked, as it turned out.

The three of us shoved his unconscious body back onto Festus, none of us talking too much. I was still mostly wrapped up in my nightmare, Piper looked shaken up and Leo looked like he was about to drop.

I did the best I could to reassure Piper, but since I could barely stop myself trying to take a header off the side of Festus when we got in the air, I’m not sure I did much good.

I sat behind Jason, a hand on his waist to stop him slipping off Festus while Piper sat in front of him and Leo steering (as much as it was possible to steer a dragon).

About half an hour into the journey, Jason’s eyes snapped open. “Cyclops!”

“Whoa, sleepyhead.” Piper said, turning around to grin at him as the wind whipped her hair around her face.

“D-Detroit,” Jason stammered. “Didn’t we crash-land? I thought—”

“It’s okay,” Leo said. “We got away.”

“But you got a nasty knock to the head. How're you feeling?” I asked, digging in my backpack to find a square of ambrosia to give him.

Jason told us he remembered the factory, then walking down the catwalk, then a creature looming over him — a face with one eye, a massive fist — and everything went black.

“How did you—the Cyclops—” He asked.

“Leo ripped them apart,” Piper said. “He was amazing. He can summon fire—”

“It was nothing,” Leo said quickly.

Piper laughed. “Shut up, Valdez. I’m going to tell him. Get over it.”

“It sounds pretty great,” I said to Leo, although I doubted he could hear me.

And Piper did — how Leo single-handedly defeated the Cyclopes family; how we freed Jason, then noticed the Cyclopes starting to re-form; how Leo had replaced the dragon’s wiring and gotten us back in the air just as they’d started to hear the Cyclopes roaring for vengeance inside the factory. Kleftis was still clutched tightly in my right hand because I’m a paranoid asshole, but that meant nothing.

When I told him about the other kid the Cyclopes claimed to have eaten, the one in the purple shirt who spoke Latin, Jason looked like his head was going to explode. A son of Mercury…

I looked at him closely. A son of Mercury would be a Roman son of Hermes, a half-brother. He would’ve probably gone to Camp Jupiter with Jason; maybe they'd even known each other?

“I’m not alone, then,” he said. “There are others like me.”

“Jason,” Piper said, “you were never alone. You’ve got us.”

“I — I know… but something Hera said. I was having a dream…”

He told us what he’d seen, and what the goddess had said inside her cage.

“An exchange?” Piper asked. “What does that mean?”

_Oh, no. Nonono. Not good. Potentially very, very not good._ I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood.

Jason shook his head. “But Hera’s gamble is me. Just by sending me to Camp Half-Blood, I have a feeling she broke some kind of rule, something that could blow up in a big way—”

“Or save us,” Piper said hopefully. “That bit about the sleeping enemy — that sounds like the lady Leo told us about.”

Leo cleared his throat. “About that… she kind of appeared to me back in Detroit, in a pool of Porta-Potty sludge.”

I wasn’t sure I’d heard that right. “Did you say Porta-Potty?”

Leo told us about the big face in the factory yard. “I don’t know if she’s completely unkillable,” he said, “but she cannot be defeated by toilet seats. I can vouch for that. She wanted me to betray you guys, and I was like, ‘Pfft, right, I’m gonna listen to a face in the potty sludge.’”

“Nothing’s completely unkillable.” I said. "Even Kronos…" I stopped myself, realising I was being kind of unhelpful.

“She’s trying to divide us.” Piper turned back to face Leo’s curly hair. I could sense the tension in her without ever having to see her face. It was obvious in the harsh lines of her shoulders and the sharp bends of her back. If we got back to Camp Half Blood alive, she’d want to work on that.

Piper was awesome, it’d be such a shame to see her dead.

“What’s wrong?” Jason asked, obviously noticing too.

“I just… Why are they toying with us? Who is this lady, and how is she connected to Enceladus?”

“Enceladus?” Jason didn’t think he’d heard that name before.

“I mean…” Piper’s voice quavered. “That’s one of the giants. Just one of the names I could remember.”

That caught my attention more than I wanted it to. I got the feeling there was a lot more bothering her, a few years ago I would’ve pressed her about it until she told me the truth but I didn’t think she’d cope too well with that after the day we’d had.

I knew Piper was lying, I could just tell those kinds of things – everyone from my cabin could. It was just one of those things, we were good guessers too, in those dumb probability games Hermes kids always tended to win. Would it be the same with Children of Mercury?

In the Hypnos Cabin, Jason had mentioned that the Roman gods were more warlike and stern than their Greek counterparts, which was all well and good, but what would that mean for their children? Thalia and Jason seemed to be as different as night and day, but that could be a coincidence.

Then again, Jason seemed to be less powerful than Thalia. Although, Jason relied more on his impeccable sword work, so maybe he didn’t feel the need to use his powers? Then, a horrible thought struck me, maybe Jason didn’t realise how powerful he could be?

He was the son of the King, the Thunderer, the bringer of Lightning - the most powerful god alive. Jason could fly; he could control air, what else did that mean? Could he suffocate us, if he felt like it? He should be able to, just rip the air out of our lungs. He could call down lightning bolts too, we’d seen him do it. I wondered how powerful they could get. Could he destroy a building? A town? A city?

Was he basically Thor?

Like in the Avengers, not the legit Norse god (hell knows if they were real or not) – Luke had shown me some of those films on the Princess Andromeda. He was kinda built like him to be fair. Actually, on reflection, I think he was more like Captain America. I guess Leo would be kind of like Tony Stark if Tony Stark wasn’t an arsehole all the time. I feel like Annabeth would glare at me if I didn’t compare her to Black Widow, but she honestly struck me as more of a Pepper Potts type. I couldn’t place Piper, not at all really, she was complicated and I didn’t understand her. It almost made me uncomfortable, but then Piper would look at me with that honest, open smile and I’d be sure that she was a marshmallow. I don’t know – maybe Scarlet Witch?

I was getting side tracked.

Leo scratched his head. “Well, I dunno about Enchiladas—”

“They’re Grover’s favourite.” I said without thinking. I bet Grover would be that Barry guy, wait, is he DC?

“Enceladus,” Piper corrected, shooting me a look like ‘are you on speed?’ which, you know, I wish.

“Whatever. But Old Potty Face mentioned another name. Porpoise Fear, or something?”

“Porphyrion?” I checked. “He was the giant king.”

“I’m going to take wild guess,” Jason said. “In the old stories, Porphyrion kidnapped Hera. That was the first shot in the war between the giants and the gods.”

“I think so,” Piper agreed. “But those myths are really garbled and conflicted. It’s almost like nobody wanted that story to survive. I just remember there was a war, and the giants were almost impossible to kill.”

“Heroes and gods had to work together,” Jason said. “That’s what Hera told me.”

“That’s right,” I said, my trust in Hera close to absolute Jack Squat. “Gods need Heroes to do their work on Earth, I’m pretty sure that’s why we get trained in the first place.”

“Kind of hard to do,” Leo grumbled, “if the gods won’t even talk to us.”

We flew west, and I became lost in my thoughts — all of them bad.

Grover was still out searching for Percy through the empathy link, but so far nothing had come of it. That wasn’t completely bad. If Percy was dead the empathy link would be trashed, Grover was fine and functioning (last time I heard) so logically, so was Percy – not that that stopped Annabeth complaining, but nothing ever really did.

I wasn’t really sure where Tyson was either. He’d been working in Poseidon’s forges before Percy went missing, and I assumed he was looking for Percy with everyone else now, but I couldn’t know for sure.

Oh, side note, Percy’s Aqua Man and Tyson’s hulk.

_The point._ I reminded myself. Jesus only knows how Ethan and Luke put up with me for so long, I annoy myself. Thalia too, for that matter.

What was she doing with the Hunters at the moment? Artemis wasn’t like the other Olympians, she was a decent humane person (was she a person, technically? I couldn’t exactly call her a thing) to begin with, but more importantly she played mostly by her own rules. Despite her occasional arrogance or stubbornness, she took her duties seriously and I knew from personal experiences that she’d do anything to protect maidens, but that was nothing compared to the fierce love she had for her huntresses. Annabeth and I had both been glad Thalia was with her because of that, even with everything else, we could agree on that.

Annabeth.

I couldn’t figure that out either (add it to the list, I know).

When we met I was jealous of her, her pretty hair, her pretty eyes, Luke’s attention and Thalia’s to a much lesser extent – barely really. I was confident in Thalia’s honest care in a way I never could be in Luke. I’d always known he missed Tori in complicated, confusing kind of way, and sometimes I thought if I messed up too much, he wouldn’t be able to put up with me anymore.

Then, when we were at Camp together we were best friends. We’d spend as much time together as we possibly could – scaled the climbing wall together, learned to shoot a crossbow (or a glock), sat together at the campfire, or giggle over dumb stuff. We’d been so close, it seemed strange to look back on it considering everything that happened since.

Then Percy had turned up and everything changed again. We’d become fast friends at Yancy Academy and not because Chiron brought me there to watch his back – Percy’s just the kind of guy you can’t stop yourself from liking. Oblivious, charismatic and loyal to a fault, Percy inspires loyalty in people. And more.

I’d realised what a crush I had on Percy when we’d fought the Hydra, I’d been so afraid he was going to die that I felt like the breath had been stolen from my lungs. I could see it now, on Happy the Dragon, clear as day.

_After burying the lifeboat with branches, Tyson and Percy followed Annabeth and I along the shore, our feet sinking in red mud. A snake slithered past my shoe and disappeared into the grass. Ew._

_“Not a good place,” Tyson said. He swatted the mosquitoes that were forming a buffet line on his arm. I scowled:_ as if he could tell the difference _._

_After another few minutes, the path was familiar and it hit me just how much I missed the life Thalia, Annabeth, Luke and me had on the run. Annabeth said, “Here.”_

_At first, and by design, all it looked like was a patch of brambles. Then Annabeth moved aside a woven circle of branches, like a door, and it was obvious we were looking into a camouflaged home._

_The inside was big enough for four, even with Tyson being the forth. The walls were woven from plant material, like a Native American hut, but they looked pretty waterproof. Stacked in the corner was everything you could want for a campout — sleeping bags, blankets, an ice chest, and a kerosene lamp. There were demigod provisions, too — bronze javelin tips, a quiver full of arrows, an extra sword, and a box of ambrosia. The place smelled musty, like it had been vacant for a long time._

_“A half-blood hideout.” Percy looked at Annabeth in awe. “You made this place?”_

_“Thalia, Clara and I,” she said quietly. “And Luke.”_

_That shouldn’t have bothered me. I mean, I knew Thalia and Luke had taken care of Annabeth and I, but whenever she talked to Percy about the time the four of us spent on the run together I kind of felt … I don’t know._

_Uncomfortable?_

_No. That’s not the word._

_The word was jealous._

_“So …” Percy said. “You don’t think Luke will look for us here?”_

_She shook her head. “We made a dozen safe houses like this. I doubt Luke even remembers where they are. Or cares.”_

_“Of course he does.” I replied. It was probably snappy, and I instantly felt guilty, but I didn’t want to apologise – she was wrong about Luke. He always cared about us, couldn’t she see that was why he did what he did? Annabeth threw herself down on the blankets and started going through her duffel bag. Her body language made it pretty clear she didn’t want to talk._

_I shrugged and slumped against the wall next to her, grabbing Klevo to sharpen._

_“Um, Tyson?” Percy said. “Would you mind scouting around outside? Like, look for a wilderness convenience store or something?”_

_“Convenience store?”_

_“Yeah, for snacks. Powdered donuts or something. Just don’t go too far.”_

_“Powdered donuts,” Tyson said earnestly. “I will look for powdered donuts in the wilderness.”_

_He headed outside and started calling, “Here, donuts!”_

_Once he was gone, Percy sat down across from Annabeth and I. “Hey, I’m sorry about, you know, seeing Luke.”_

_“It’s not your fault.” Annabeth unsheathed her knife and started cleaning the blade with a rag._

_“Not a bad thing.” I said quietly, Percy either didn’t hear, or didn’t want to open that barrel of messed up co-dependency, which I could respect._

_“He let us go too easily,” Percy said._

_He’d clearly hoped he’d been imagining it, but Annabeth nodded. “I was thinking the same thing. What we overheard him say about a gamble, and ‘they’ll take the bait’… I think he was talking about us.”_

_“The Fleece is the bait? Or Grover?”_

_She studied the edge of her knife. “I don’t know, Percy. Maybe he wants the Fleece for himself. Maybe he’s hoping we’ll do the hard work and then he can steal it from us. I just can’t believe he would poison the tree.”_

_“What did he mean,” Percy asked, “that Thalia would’ve been on his side?”_

_“He’s wrong.”_

_“You don’t sound sure.”_

_Annabeth glared at Percy, and he must have started to wish he hadn’t asked her about this while she was holding a knife._

_“Percy, you know who you remind me of most? Thalia. You guys are so much alike it’s scary. I mean, either you would’ve been best friends or you would’ve strangled each other.”_

_“Let’s go with ‘best friends.’”_

_“Thalia got angry with her dad sometimes. So do you. Would you turn against Olympus because of that?”_

_Percy stared at the quiver of arrows in the corner. “No.”_

_“Okay, then. Neither would she. Luke’s wrong.” Annabeth stuck her knife blade into the dirt._

_“You don’t get it,” I told Annabeth, “She wasn’t angry, she was resentful.”_

_“What does that change?” Percy asked, looking at me, all concerned. He’d looked at me like that since Luke left Camp – like I was breakable._

_Shrugging, I focused on Klevo, but that only made it worse. I could remember throwing myself at Luke and hugging him when he’d handed me Klevo and Kleftis. “It just does.”_

_There was a pause, and I knew what Percy was going to ask before he’d even opened his mouth. The question had obviously been building for a while, but I reckon we’d both tried to hide from it._

_“Would you join him?”_

_I didn’t answer instantly, which seemed to confirm the things he was thinking. “Luke’s methods can’t work.” I said finally. “But I agree with his reasons.”_

_“So you back the winner?”_

_“I’ll not fight Luke for the gods.”_

_“But you’re here now.” Percy pointed out. I frowned._

_“This is different. Grover could be in real danger.”_

_Percy nodded. I understood that, for the moment, we were done with the topic. I looked sideways at Annabeth and saw the worried frown marring her features. I felt bad right away. “Sorry,” I murmured to her, guilt making my body feel like it was made of lead. Recently, I felt like I couldn’t open my mouth without saying the wrong thing._

_“So what did Luke mean about Cyclopes?” Percy asked, moving on. “He said you of all people—”_

_“I know what he said. He … he was talking about the real reason Thalia died.”_

_I waited, not sure what to say. I tried not to think about that day, but sometimes it came back into my head – usually in the form of nightmares. Before, when that had happened, Luke would hug me until I could sleep again and let me cry all over him._

_Annabeth drew a shaky breath. “You can never trust a Cyclops, Percy. Six years ago, on the night Grover was leading us to Half-Blood Hill—”_

_She was interrupted when the door of the hut creaked open. Tyson crawled in._

_Worst. Timing. Ever._

_“Powdered donuts!” he said proudly, holding up a pastry box._

_Annabeth and I stared at him. “Where did you get that? We’re in the middle of the wilderness._

_There’s nothing around for—”_

_“Fifty feet,” Tyson said. “Monster Donut shop—just over the hill!”_

_“This is bad,” I muttered._

_Within a few minutes we were crouching behind a tree, staring at the donut shop in the middle of the woods. It looked brand new, with brightly lit windows, a parking area, and a little road leading off into the forest, but there was nothing else around, and no cars parked in the lot. We could see one employee reading a magazine behind the cash register. That was it. On the store’s marquis, in huge black letters that even I could read, it said:_

_MONSTER DONUT_

_A cartoon ogre was taking a bite out of the O in MONSTER. The place smelled good, like fresh-baked chocolate donuts._

_“This shouldn’t be here,” Annabeth whispered. “It’s wrong.”_

_“What?” Percy asked. “It’s a donut shop.”_

_“Shhh!”_

_“Why are we whispering? Tyson went in and bought a dozen. Nothing happened to him.”_

_“He’s a monster.”_

_“Aw, c’mon, Annabeth. Monster Donut doesn’t mean monsters! It’s a chain. We’ve got them in New York.”_

_“For Gods sake, Percy. We’re demigods, nothing is ever a coincidence.”_

_“A chain,” Annabeth agreed. “And don’t you think it’s strange that one appeared immediately after you told Tyson to get donuts? Right here in the middle of the woods?”_

_“It could be a nest,” I explained._

_Tyson whimpered. I doubt he understood what Annabeth and I were saying any better than Percy did, but Annabeth’s tone was making him nervous. He’d ploughed through half a dozen donuts from his box and was getting powdered sugar all over his face._

_“A nest for what?” Percy asked._

_“Haven’t you ever wondered how franchise stores pop up so fast?” she asked. “One day there’s nothing and then the next day— boom, there’s a new burger place or a coffee shop or whatever? First a single store, then two, then four— exact replicas spreading across the country?”_

_“Um, no. Never thought about it.”_

_“Percy, some of the chains multiply so fast because all their locations are magically linked to the life force of a monster. Some children of Hermes figured out how to do it back in the 1950s. They breed—”_

_She froze._

_“What?” Percy demanded. “They breed what?”_

_“Hydra.” I told him, then I spotted what Annabeth had seen and wanted to impale myself with Kleftis. Wonderful. This day, I swear to Zeus…_

_“No—sudden—moves,” Annabeth said, like her life depended on it. “Very slowly, turn around.”_

_They hydra was a rhino-size thing moving through the shadows of the trees. It was hissing, its front half writhing in all different directions, the thing had multiple necks—at least seven, each topped with a hissing reptilian head. Its skin was leathery, and under each neck it wore a plastic bib that read: I’M A MONSTER DONUT KID!_

_Percy took out his ballpoint pen, but Annabeth locked eyes with him — a silent warning. Not yet._

_He obviously understood. A lot of monsters have terrible eyesight. It was possible the Hydra might pass us by. But if he uncapped his sword now, the bronze glow would certainly get its attention. I rested my hands on Kleftis and Klevo, ready to draw them, but unwilling to give us away._

_We waited._

_The Hydra was only a few feet away. It seemed to be sniffing the ground and the trees like it was hunting for something. Then I noticed that two of the heads were ripping apart a piece of yellow canvas—one of our duffel bags. The thing had already been to our campsite. It was following our scent._

_My heart pounded. I’d seen a stuffed Hydra-head trophy at camp before, and one attacked Luke and I once. Each head was diamond-shaped, like a rattlesnake’s, but the mouths were lined with jagged rows of shark like teeth._

_Tyson was trembling. He stepped back and accidentally snapped a twig. Immediately, all seven heads turned toward us and hissed._

_“Scatter!” Annabeth yelled. She dove to the right. I pushed myself backwards as fast as I could as Percy rolled to the left. One of the Hydra heads spat an arc of green liquid that shot past Percy shoulder and splashed against an elm. I darted to the left, not thinking but on instinct. Help Percy, boomed through my head._

_The trunk smoked and began to disintegrate. The whole tree toppled straight toward Tyson, who still hadn’t moved, petrified by the monster that was now right in front of him._

_“Tyson!” Percy tackled him with all his might, knocking him aside just as the Hydra lunged and the tree crashed on top of two of its heads._

_The Hydra stumbled backward, yanking its heads free then wailing in outrage at the fallen tree. All seven heads shot acid, and the elm melted into a steaming pool of muck._

_“Move!” Percy told Tyson. He ran to one side and uncapped Riptide, hoping to draw the monster’s attention._

_It worked._

_The sight of celestial bronze is hateful to most monsters. As soon as his glowing blade appeared, the Hydra whipped toward it with all its heads, hissing and baring its teeth._

_The good news: Tyson was momentarily out of danger. The bad news: Percy was about to be melted into a puddle of goo._

_One of the heads snapped at me experimentally. Without thinking, Percy swung his sword._

_“No!” Annabeth yelled._

_“Don’t!” I screamed._

_Too late. Percy sliced the Hydra’s head clean off. It rolled away into the grass, leaving a flailing stump, which immediately stopped bleeding and began to swell like a balloon._

_If I thought today had been going badly before, I was about to be proved utterly wrong._

_In a matter of seconds the wounded neck split into two necks, each of which grew a full-size head. Now I was looking at an eight-headed Hydra._

_“Percy!” Annabeth scolded. “You just opened another Monster Donut shop somewhere!”_

_Percy dodged a spray of acid. “I’m about to die and you’re worried about that? How do we kill it?”_

_“Fire!” Annabeth said. “We have to have fire!”_

_But we had no fire._

_Percy backed up toward river. The Hydra followed._

_Annabeth moved in on his left and tried to distract one of the heads, parrying its teeth with her knife, but another head swung sideways like a club and knocked her into the muck. I took that one, slashing down its face to injure it without severing it._

_“No hitting my friends!” Tyson charged in, putting himself between the Hydra and Annabeth._

_As Annabeth got to her feet, Tyson started smashing at the monster heads with his fists so fast it reminded me of the whack-a-mole game at the arcade. But even Tyson couldn’t fend off the Hydra forever._

_I rolled out of the way, before popping back up in front of another head and slicing at it, ripping apart its jaw but not severing it. I wasn’t sure how long we could hold it off, but at least if Annabeth got away, it would be worth it._

_We kept inching backward, dodging acid splashes and deflecting snapping heads without cutting them off, but I knew we were only postponing our deaths. Eventually, we would make a mistake and the thing would kill us._

_Fear shot through my heart. I couldn’t let it hurt Percy – He was one of my best friends, he was loyal and good and kind. We’d fought by each other’s sides for a long time now. He’d stood by me through so much. We’d had each other’s backs no matter what. I adored him._

_Wait, what?_

_It was probably a testament to what a bad person I was that I managed to shock myself with my own honesty. Unfortunately, my surprise put me off guard for just enough time for one of the heads to smash into my stomach and send me flying into a tree._

_I screeched as the branches and twigs raked across my skin, I could feel my jumper tear. Ow! Ow! Ow!_

_Then I heard a strange sound—a chug-chug-chug that at first I thought was my heartbeat. It was so powerful it made the riverbank shake._

_“What’s that noise?” Annabeth shouted, keeping her eyes on the Hydra._

_“Steam engine,” Tyson said._

_”What?” Percy ducked as the Hydra spat acid over his head._

_“A warship!” I called to Percy, then “Maia!” activating my flying shoes to help me detangle myself from the tree._

_Then from the river behind us, a familiar female voice shouted: “There! Prepare the thirty-two-pounder!”_

_I didn’t dare look away from the Hydra, but if that was who I thought it was behind us, I figured we now had enemies on two fronts._

_A gravelly male voice said, “They’re too close, m’lady!”_

_“Damn the heroes!” the girl said. “Full steam ahead!”_

_Thank you. Much obliged. I snarked in my heard as I pulled twigs out of the way and retrieved Kleftis and Klevo to get ready to fight again._

_“Aye, m’lady.”_

_“Fire at will, Captain!”_

_Annabeth understood what was happening a split second before Percy did. She yelled, “Hit the dirt!” and we dove for the ground as an earth-shattering BOOM echoed from the river. There was a flash of light, a column of smoke, and the Hydra exploded right in front of us, showering us with nasty green slime that vaporized as soon as it hit, the way monster guts tend to do._

_“Gross!” screamed Annabeth._

_“Steamship!” yelled Tyson._

_I stood, coughing from the cloud of gunpowder smoke that was rolling across the banks._

_Chugging toward us down the river was the strangest ship I’d ever seen. It rode low in the water like a submarine, its deck plated with iron. In the middle was a trapezoid-shaped casemate with slats on each side for cannons. A flag waved from the top — a wild boar and spear on a blood red field. Lining the deck were zombies in grey uniforms — dead soldiers with shimmering faces that only partially covered their skulls, like the ghouls I’d seen in the Underworld guarding Hades’ palace._

_The ship was an ironclad. A Civil War battle cruiser. I could just make out the name along the prow in moss-covered letters: CSS Birmingham._

_And standing next to the smoking cannon that had almost killed us, wearing full Greek battle armor, was Clarisse._

_“Losers,” she sneered. “But I suppose I have to rescue you. Come aboard.”_

_Not in the myths, but I guess that works too._

Even I knew I wasn’t much good with emotions, but getting tossed into a tree by a Hydra because my _token-self-awareness-moment-for-the-year_ was so badly timed and incapacitated me was a new low. I’d like to pretend that I hadn’t outdone myself on that front, but I’d be lying.

Good thing I was cool with lying, I guess.

It didn't matter anymore though. We kissed – once – but after the war, everything was different. Even in the labyrinth, things had changed. There was too much guilt and anger and fights and blood to ever think of him like that again. When I saw him all I could think about was Luke's death. 

Anyway, over time Annabeth and Percy got _closer_ and I kind of drifted away until I feel down a cliff with Luke then half joined his army, half spied on them for Chiron (Chiron, not the Gods, even if he was working for them).

In the labyrinth, in the dark passage surrounded by monsters and about to die, Percy had kissed me. I could feel the echo of the warmth of him as I thought about it. He was a good kisser, really. But then I’d had to go back to Kronos and try to maintain a cover while he was catapulted to Calypso’s island so we never really had a chance to talk.

Then I messed up my friendship with Annabeth and Percy, because I couldn’t separate them from Luke’s death. I’d abandoned Camp and driven away as fast and as far as I could. The last thing I'd said to Percy rang in my ears, a resounding reminder of the way everything had fallen apart. He'd tried to IM me once or twice, but we hadn't spoken. A testament to my inherit shortcomings.

I'd never been in love with Percy. I'd been a stupid little girl, who clung onto anyone because the only person I loved – really loved – was gone.

I know, I’m an irrational bitch. What’s your point?

Everything with Ethan happened too; I felt spoiled now. Damaged goods, wasn’t that the phrase the used to use?

I frowned at myself, how do I always manage to end up depressing myself? Gods, I needed a hobby.

I felt something vibrate in my bag and paled. I scrambled to get my phone out – a call from Tori could mean she was in danger, a call from someone else… When I finally got it out I stared at the number blankly for a few seconds. Unknown. Same as it always was.

I'd been getting calls from whoever-it-was for a few days – about a week now. By this point, I really didn't want to know; I was a demigod, nothing good ever seemed to happen to us. I turned my phone off and pushed it as deep into my bag as I could, trying not to think about it. Whoever it was would have to give up and some point, I could wait them out.

"Are you alright?" Jason asked, turning as much as he could. Despite the ambrosia, he still looked pale. It wasn't held by the purpling bruises across his face which looked like they must've hurt pretty bad.

I fixed a smile on my face that usually worked. "Of course."

He nodded and turned back, but I could tell he wasn't convinced. It shouldn't have bothered me, but it did. Apart from Luke (and maybe Thalia) no one really knew when I was lying – it was a mix of practise and a Hermes thing – so why did Jason? We hadn't known each other long?

I wasn’t sure how much time passed before the dragon dove through a break in the clouds, finally pulling me out of my messy thoughts. Below us, glittering in the winter sun, was a city at the edge of a massive lake. A crescent of skyscrapers lined the shore. Behind us, stretching out to the western horizon, was a vast grid of snow-covered neighbourhoods and roads.

“Chicago,” Jason said.

“One problem down,” Leo said. “We got here alive. Now, how do we find the storm spirits?”

I saw a flash of movement below us. At first I thought it was a small plane or a really big bird (maybe a drone?), but it was too small, too dark and fast. The thing spiralled toward the skyscrapers, weaving and changing shape—and, just for a moment it became the smoky figure of a horse.

“How about we follow that one,” Jason suggested, “and see where it goes?”


	17. seventeen | of ruthlessness and philosophy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time had passed ruthlessly for us. Strangers to friends to best friends to sisters in everything but blood to strangers again. I wasn’t sure what to think, even now. I liked her, I missed her. I resented her, I hated her. I wanted her around and I hoped I’d never see her again.

**xvii**

**clara**

**December, 2015**

I was afraid we’d lose our target. The ventus moved like… well, like the wind. Don’t get me wrong, I knew Jason was powerful, and he seemed pretty competent too which was a nice change, but he was only human.

“Speed up!” Jason urged, the faintest hint of panic in his voice. What he’s said made sense, but I already had to hold onto Festus hard enough that my knuckles went white and I didn’t think it would work out well for us if Festus made too many sharp turns at this speed.

“Bro,” Leo said, “If I get any closer, he’ll spot us. Bronze dragon ain’t exactly a stealth plane.”

“Slow down!” Piper yelped.

Festus turned sharply. My grip wasn't strong enough. I slipped sideways and would have fallen if Jason hadn't reached behind him to grab my waist. Instinctively, I wrapped an arm around him. "Thanks." I gasped out.

"No problem." Jason replied. I realised I was still holding onto him tightly and his arm was still firmly across my back, fingers curling into my waist, and blushed in embarrassment – he must be able to feel all the awkward bones, maybe even the ugly raised scar across my stomach? I cringed internally. I made to move my arm but he shook his head. Using the arm that had stopped me from becoming a spot on the ground, he kept my arm where it was.

I blushed harder, only glad that I was at the back so no one could see me.

The storm spirit dove into the grid of downtown streets. Festus tried to follow, but his wingspan was way too wide, I think all of us saw what was going to happen a few second before it did. His left wing clipped the edge of a building, slicing off a stone gargoyle before Leo managed to up.

“Oops.” I murmured as the stone gargoyle smashed on the street below. Piper’s lips curled into a smile.

“Get above the buildings,” Jason suggested. “We’ll track him from there.”

“You want to drive this thing?” Leo grumbled, but he did what Jason asked.

After a few minutes, we spotted the storm spirit again, zipping through the streets with no apparent purpose—blowing over pedestrians, ruffling flags, making cars swerve.

“Oh great,” Piper said, deadpan as hell. “There’re two.”

She was right. A second ventus blasted around the corner of the Renaissance Hotel and linked up with the first. They wove together in a chaotic dance, shooting to the top of a skyscraper, bending a radio tower, and diving back down toward the street.

“Those guys do not need any more caffeine,” Leo said.

“I guess Chicago’s a good place to hang out,” Piper said. “Nobody’s going to question a couple more evil winds.”

I laughed quietly, but didn’t comment. I’d been to Chicago not too long before I started wasting some more of my life in Vegas, it hadn’t been too bad all things considered. I’d spent most of the time staying in different shitty motels or in my car and sneaking into casinos.

The thought of mentioning it to Piper, Leo and Jason made me feel ill. Leo had gone through so much shit, but still managed to act like a sane human, Piper was kind to us no matter what and Jason – Gods. He’d been displaced from his entire life and must be so lost and confused, but he was calm, level headed and _holding himself the fuck together_. Luke died and I couldn’t fucking cope. It’d been four months and I was no closer to getting myself back under control than I’d been a week after he’d died. Why couldn’t I pull myself together?

“More than a couple,” Jason said. “Look.”

Festus circled over a wide avenue next to a lake-side park. Storm spirits were converging—at least a dozen of them, whirling around a big public art installation.

“Which one do you think is Dylan?” Leo asked. “I wanna throw something at him.”

But Jason was focused on the art installation. It was just a public fountain, but even I could see it freaked him out slightly. Two five-story monoliths rose from either end of a long granite reflecting pool. The monoliths seemed to be built of video screens, flashing the combined image of a giant face that spewed water into the pool.

If Annabeth were here, I knew she’d have some smart comment about it that would’ve bored the hell out of Percy and me, but we’d pretend to be interested anyway because she was so genuinely interested. Watching her talk about actually one of my favourite things about being friends with her.

_Nuh-uh,_ part of my brain reminded me, _you screwed up your friendship with her, Dummy._

As we watched, the image on the screens changed to a woman’s face with her eyes closed. I felt my heart skip a beat as fear clawed its way up my throat.

“Leo …” Jason said nervously.

“I see her,” Leo said. “I don’t like her, but I see her.”

Then the screens went dark. The Venti swirled together into a single funnel cloud and skittered across the fountain, kicking up a waterspout almost as high as the monoliths. They got to its centre, popped off a drain cover, and disappeared underground.

“Did they just go down a drain?” Piper asked. “How are we supposed to follow them?”

“Maybe we shouldn’t,” Leo said. “That fountain thing is giving me seriously bad vibes. And aren’t we supposed to, like, beware the earth?”

“We have to,” I answered, even though I wasn’t eager to go down another sewer, “We ain’t got much of a choice if we want to save Hera.”

“Put us down in that park,” Jason suggested. “We’ll check it out on foot.”

Festus landed in an open area between the lake and the skyline. The signs said Grant Park, it must have been a pretty place in the summer, but now it was a field of ice, snow, and salted walkways. The dragon’s hot metal feet hissed as they touched down. Festus flapped his wings unhappily and shot fire into the sky, but there was no one around to notice. The wind coming off the lake was bitter cold. Anyone with sense would be inside.

My eyes stung as the wind whipped into them as we dismounted from Festus, who was stomping his feet. One of his ruby eyes flickered, so it looked like he was blinking. Or falling apart, I wasn’t completely sure either way.

“Is that normal?” Jason asked.

Leo pulled a rubber mallet from his tool bag. He whacked the dragon’s bad eye, and the light went back to normal. “Yes,” Leo said. “Festus can’t hang around here, though, in the middle of the park. They’ll arrest him for loitering. Maybe if I had a dog whistle…”

He rummaged in his tool belt, but came up with nothing.

“Too specialized.” I recommended and Leo nodded.

“Okay, give me a safety whistle. They got that in lots of machine shops.”

This time, Leo pulled out a big plastic orange whistle. “Coach Hedge would be jealous! Okay, Festus, listen.” Leo blew the whistle. The shrill sound probably rolled all the way across Lake Michigan. “You hear that, come find me, okay? Until then, you fly wherever you want. Just try not to barbecue any pedestrians.”

The dragon snorted — hopefully in agreement. Then he spread his wings and launched into the air.

Piper took one step and winced. “Ah!”

“Your ankle?” I felt bad I’d forgotten about her injury back in the Cyclops factory. “That nectar we gave you might be wearing off.”

“It’s fine.” She shivered, grinning even though we all knew it was faked. She took a few more steps with only a slight limp, but I could tell she was trying not to grimace.

“Let’s get out of the wind,” I suggested.

“Down a drain?” Piper shuddered. “Sounds cosy.”

We wrapped ourselves up as best we could and headed toward the fountain.

* * *

According to the plaque, it was called Crown Fountain. All the water had emptied out except for a few patches that were starting to freeze. It didn’t seem right to me that the fountain would have water in it in the winter anyway. Then again, those big monitors had flashed the face of possibly the worst enemy we could ever have. Nothing about this place was right.

We stepped to the centre of the pool. No spirits tried to stop us. The giant monitor walls stayed dark. The drain hole was easily big enough for a person, and a maintenance ladder led down into the gloom.

Jason went first. The ladder dropped into a brickwork tunnel running north to south. The air was warm and dry, with only a trickle of water on the floor. I went after Jason, but using the flying shoes, then Piper and Leo climbed down.

To give it its due, the sewer didn’t smell that bad. I’d definitely been in worse.

“Are all sewers this nice?” Piper wondered. From where I was stood next to Piper, I shook my head. Piper sent me a questioning look but I just shook her head again, smiling that time.

“No,” Leo said. “Trust me.”

Jason frowned. “How do you know—”

“Hey, man, I ran away six times. I’ve slept in some weird places, okay? Now, which way do we go?”

Jason tilted his head, listening, then pointed south. “That way.”

“How can you be sure?” Piper asked.

“There’s a draft blowing south,” Jason said. “Maybe the Venti went with the flow.”

It wasn’t much of a lead, but none of us offered anything better.

Unfortunately, as soon as we started walking, Piper stumbled. Jason caught her before she could hit the floor.

“Stupid ankle,” she cursed.

“Let’s rest,” Jason decided. “We could all use it. We’ve been going nonstop for over a day. Leo, can you pull any food from that tool belt besides breath mints?”

“Thought you’d never ask. Chef Leo is on it!”

Piper and Jason sat on a brick ledge while Leo shuffled through his pack. I hovered in mid-air with my legs crossed – I’d spent more than enough time huddling in sewers already.

It was easy enough to see how agitated Jason was, he turned the gold coin in his hands over and over. From observing him, I guessed he was feeling guilty, which was insane. I’d never met a nicer guy (except Luke, and maybe Grover) and he’d done everything he could while getting handed such a shit card from life. Miss Emily used to talk about that a lot, back in New Orleans. She’d been big into fortune telling which is how she met my Mom, but unlike my Mom, she wasn’t mental. I think she must have some demigod blood because almost everything I’d heard her predict had come to pass.

I made a quick mental note to visit her if I survived; if war really was coming I wanted to be prepared.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Piper said softly to Jason. I was good enough at reading people that I could tell it wasn’t romantically motivated. Maybe the tricks of the mist were starting to fade? I suppose it was probably for the best, mist-memories didn't sound like the healthiest base for a relationship.

He looked at her blankly. “What?”

“Getting jumped by the Cyclopes,” she said. “It wasn’t your fault.”

He looked down at the coin in his palm. “I was stupid. I left you alone and walked into a trap. I should’ve known…”

He didn’t finish. There were too many things he should have known — who he was, how to fight monsters, how Cyclopes lured their victims by mimicking voices and hiding in shadows and a hundred other tricks. It must kill him, to know he should know, but never be able to remember.

“Hey.” Piper nudged his arm. “Cut yourself some slack. Just because you’re the son of Zeus doesn’t mean you’re a one-man army.”

“Cyclopes are vicious, Jason.” I said from where I’d begun helping Leo as he lit a small cooking fire. He hummed as he pulled supplies out of his pack and his tool belt. “They would have found a way to capture us. It’s not your fault.”

In the firelight, Piper’s eyes seemed to dance. She looked at Jason with raw care and I could see Silena in her. Kind, loving with a beautiful soul – the model daughter of Aphrodite.

“I know this must suck for you,” he said. “Not just the quest, I mean. The way I appeared on the bus, the Mist messing with your mind, and making you think I was… you know.”

She dropped her gaze. “Yeah, well. None of us asked for this. It’s not your fault.”

She tugged at the little braids on each side of her head. I thought how glad I was that she’d lost the Aphrodite blessing. I’d never thought of beauty as a form of power, even knowing Mitchell so well, but that’s the way Piper had seemed — powerful.

I liked regular Piper better—someone you could chat with, still powerful, but gentle.

“Back in the factory,” Jason said, “you were you going to say something about your dad.”

She traced her finger over the bricks, almost like she was writing out a scream she didn’t want to vocalize. “Was I?”

“Piper,” he said, “he’s in some kind of trouble, isn’t it?”

Over at the fire, Leo stirred some sizzling bell peppers and meat in a pan. “Yeah, baby! Almost there.” I elbowed him in the ribs and he blushed slightly.

Piper looked on the verge of tears. “Jason… I can’t talk about it.”

“We’re your friends. Let us help.”

That seemed to make her feel worse. She took a shaky breath. “I wish I could, but—”

“And bingo!” Leo announced.

_Gods, that boy had no timing_ (I loved it, by the way).

He came over with three plates stacked on his arms like a waiter, I rolled my eyes and carried the last plate behind him.

“But,” Piper said in amazement. “How did you—?”

“Chef Leo’s Taco Garage is fixing you up!” he said proudly. “And by the way, its tofu, not beef, beauty queen, so don’t freak. Just dig in!”

I wasn’t sure about tofu as a general rule, but the tacos tasted as good as they smelled. While we ate, Leo tried to lighten the mood and joke around.

After Piper ate, Jason encouraged her to get some sleep. Without another word, she curled up and rested her head backwards against the wall. In two seconds she was snoring.

Jason looked up at Leo, who was obviously trying not to laugh, I was grinning too, and made a face at Jason, who rolled his eyes at me.

We sat in silence for a few minutes, drinking lemonade Leo had made from canteen water and powdered mix. I pulled a flask out of my backpack and took a long drink of the hot coffee – best invention in the history of mankind. I offered some to the boys but they’d both declined. It was probably for the best in Leo’s case.

“Good, huh?” Leo grinned as he sipped the drink.

“You should start a stand,” Jason said. “Make some serious coin.”

But as he stared at the embers of the fire, something began to bother him. “Leo… about this fire stuff you can do… is it true?”

Leo’s smile faltered. “Yeah, well…” He opened his hand. A small ball of flame burst to life, dancing across his palm.

“That is so cool,” Jason said. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

Leo closed his hand and the fire went out. “Didn’t want to look like a freak.”

“I have lightning and wind powers,” Jason reminded him. “Piper can turn beautiful and charm people into giving her BMWs. Clara can fly. You’re no more a freak than we are. And, hey, maybe you can fly, too. Like jump off a building and yell, ‘Flame on!’”

Leo snorted. “If I did that, you would see a flaming kid falling to his death, and I would be yelling something a little stronger than ‘Flame on!’ Trust me, Hephaestus cabin doesn’t see fire powers as cool. Nyssa told me they’re super rare. When a demigod like me comes around, bad things happen. Really bad.”

“Maybe it’s the other way around,” Jason suggested. “Maybe people with special gifts show up when bad things are happening because that’s when they’re needed most.”

Leo cleared away the plates. “Maybe. But I’m telling you… it’s not always a gift.”

Jason fell silent. “You’re talking about your mom, aren’t you? The night she died.” I looked away uncomfortably, moving so I was closer to Piper which Leo seemed to appreciate – we hadn’t known each other long enough, or got to know each other well enough, to spill our souls. 

Leo didn’t answer. He didn’t have to. The fact that he was quiet, not joking around — that told us enough.

“Leo, her death wasn’t your fault. Whatever happened that night — it wasn’t because you could summon fire. This Dirt Woman, whoever she is, has been trying to ruin you for years, mess up your confidence, take away everything you care about. She’s trying to make you feel like a failure. You’re not. You’re important.”

“That’s what she said. She said I was meant to do something important — something that would make or break that big prophecy about the seven demigods. That’s what scares me. I don’t know if I’m up to it.”

Some of me wanted to tell him everything would be all right, but it would’ve sounded fake. I didn’t know what would happen. We were demigods, which meant sometimes things didn’t end okay. Sometimes you got eaten by the Cyclops.

If you asked most kids, “Hey, you want to summon fire or lightning or magical makeup?” they’d think it sounded pretty cool. But those powers went along with hard stuff, like sitting in a sewer in the middle of winter, running from monsters, losing your memory, having a crazy mom, watching your friends almost get cooked, and having dreams that warned you of your own death.

Leo poked at the remnants of his fire, turning over red-hot coals with his bare hand. “You ever wonder about the other four demigods? I mean… if we’re four of the ones from the Great Prophecy, who are the others? Where are they?”

_You’ll tear each other apart_ , Boreas had promised us. That’s make sense if they were Romans, but I didn’t want to think about that.

I thought Jason was scared too, although it looked like had been trained never to show fear. He was supposed to act confident, even if he didn’t feel it.

“Percy will probably be one, Annabeth too.” I mentioned, fiddling with my necklace.

Jason nodded. “I don’t know the rest,” he said at last. “I guess the other two will show up when the time is right. Who knows? Maybe they’re on some other quest right now.”

Leo grunted. “I bet their sewer is nicer than ours.”

There was a pause. It was so long that I knew what question was coming before it did. "The prophecy said someone would die," Leo started slowly. To his credit, he didn't sound very afraid. At most he sounded cautious. Not that that would help us any. What could we do? Start wearing bullet proof jackets and carry body length shields? You wish. The way I saw it, if you were going to die, you were going to die – no real question about it. And, really, everyone died in the end. It didn't seem so bad to get it out of the way. At least if the prophecy was right, they were dying for their friend – that sounded like a good way to go.

On the other hand, if the prophecy was right, I was a dead girl walking. _Traitor sacrificed to spare another, / Death preordained by Cassandra's curse_ really didn't bode well to me. There was barely anything left of me other than being a traitor… and after everything mom had predicted…

"You never know," I said confidently, even though it was all faked, "Prophecies are tricky. Sacrifice doesn't necessarily mean death. And maybe the Cassandra's curse bit isn't talking about any of the eight. It could mean anything."

I wasn't lying – it really could have meant anything. It didn't though, I knew that in my bones.

Jason glanced at me. Something in his eyes told me he wasn't buying it, but thankfully he didn't call me out about it in front of Leo. "Clara's right, it could mean anything. We'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it."

The draft picked up, blowing toward the south end of the tunnel.

“Get some rest, Leo,” Jason said. “I’ll take first watch.”

* * *

It was hard to measure time, but I figured Leo and Piper slept for a few hours before I spoke. Jason and I had stayed mostly silent, not in an _I-secretly-hate-you_ way but we were both deep in our own heads.

“Jason, get some rest. I’ll take watch.” I said, he looked exhausted but I don’t think it was a lack of sleep, it looked more like he was tormenting himself in his own head.

"It's alright, I don't mind." He shook his head.

I shrugged, trying my best to maintain eye contact with him. "I don't sleep much anyway," I said, pointedly not responding to the concern in his eyes, "Please, Gracie, just get some sleep."

His mouth twisted in amusement. "Gracie?"

"Mmhm." I nodded, "Consider it a mark of friendship."

He laughed outright at that. "Will do," but he still didn't close his eyes.

Fiddling with my necklace again, I made myself look up at Jason and talk to him. "I didn't get the chance to thank you properly for… well, not letting me get… dead." I finished lamely, wincing at my inability to say what I actually meant.

Jason didn't say anything for a second, and when I glanced at him he looked bemused. "Of course I wasn't going to let you fall." He said, like it was obvious. Then grinned, "Call it a mark of friendship."

Despite the cold, the situation and the sewer, I couldn't help laughing. My lips stretched into a smile but it felt unfamiliar after so many months of barely surviving.

"Get some sleep," I said as nicely as I could, "I'll see you in the morning, Gracie."

"See you in the morning, Clara." He nodded, and leaned his head back against the stone wall.

After about twenty minutes, Jason had fallen asleep leaving me the only one awake. I was still hovering above the ground, unwilling to lay on the filthy floor if I didn’t have to; I’d done more than enough of that when on the streets with Luke and Thalia. And Annabeth too, I supposed.

Time had passed ruthlessly for us. Strangers to friends to best friends to sisters in everything but blood to strangers again. I wasn’t sure what to think, even now. I liked her, I missed her. I resented her, I hated her. I wanted her around and I hoped I’d never see her again.

There was a lump in my throat that I couldn’t breathe around. Knowing how this usually went, I dug my hand in my bad to grab my inhaler; I didn’t have asthma, but the poisonous air in the pit wasn’t any good for my lungs and throat.

Great. I _love_ being a demigod.

Really.

I fiddled with my necklace absent-mindedly. Miss Emily had given it to me before we ran away. It was a faux-gold crucifix, it always reminded me of the times Miss Emily would look after Tori and me (or just me) when Luke was at school, she'd take us to church sometimes, the same one mom had gone to before she lost her mind. She'd stopped made sure we were baptised, but that was all, after a while she just stopped going. Naturally, Miss Emily had been horrified (and yet she owned a voodoo shop and believed in those gods too, go figure) and had taken Luke, Tori and I every Sunday. 

* * *

“Hey,” A soft voice said. It must have been at least three hours after Jason had fallen asleep. Piper had woken. Her hair was in her face and her eyebrow had been pushed up awkwardly so that it vaguely resembled a Spock brow, but Piper didn’t look like she really cared.

“Morning, Beauty Queen.” I greeted. My voice sounded dead even to my own ears. Lack of use had left it scratchy and dull.

Piper looked round at the sewer, before returning her gaze to me. “How _did_ you know not all sewers were this nice?”

I sighed but I didn’t feel as defensive as usual. The worst thing about leaving Camp (then choosing not to drive off the side of a cliff – well, kind of) was how lonely I’d been. Travelling was an education and everything, but it would’ve been great with company. Not that I went for great, but whatever. Not the point.

“I ran away with my brother when we were young. I’ve slept in some dodgy places.” Piper nodded, but I could tell she had more questions. “Fancy trading sob stories?” I offered, my own curiosity getting the better of me. I figured Piper wouldn’t be able to tell if I lied anyway, which was helpful if a little depressing. 

“I don’t have a sob story.” Piper answered quickly. I raised an eyebrow, “Really, I don’t. You know who my father is – I’ve had everything I could want and a real easy life, an-”

“But?” I interrupted, knowing she was talking in a circle. There was more than one way to be miserable. “Big house don’t mean happiness,” I said, my Louisiana drawl even thicker than usual. “The years I was on the streets were the best of my life.”

Piper nodded hesitantly.

“My dad grew up poor and when he met my mum he was just on the way to becoming an actor.” She paused again and took a steadying breath. “She never told him she was leaving and just left me with him without a note or anything.” Piper swallowed heavily again and I sent her a reassuring smile.

Gods were dicks. It was a pretty common for them not to even leave messages or reassurances with the mortal they used. To know your parent didn’t want you like that was horrible, as far as I knew, Piper didn’t have any siblings and to deal with that all on her own must have been awful. 

“When he made it big in Hollywood,” Piper continued, a noticeable lack of emotional attachment in her voice, “He became busier, you know? More distant.” I nodded, trying to look reassuring, but probably looking sorry.

“I got kicked out of schools a lot, like I said.” Piper waved a hand referencing the conversation we’d have on Half-Blood Hill. “I’m, uh, I’m dyslexic,” She admitted, ducking her head while her cheeks flushed red.

“Me too. And Percy. Most demigods are.” I reassured her, smiling even though I was pretty sure she couldn’t see. As far as I'd thought about it, I figured it didn't matter. I mean, what did it even do? Stop us working jobs we hate to buy stuff we didn't care about and keep us away from our families? Screw that. And anyway, you could get all the essentials by stealing, so what did it matter at all in the end?

Piper raised her eyes to meet mine. “Thanks, Clara.” She smiled, cheeks dimpling. “But yeah, I got kicked out and he’d get Jane – she’s his PA – to put me in a new school and – I don’t know!” She was talking more quickly now, and I could tell she was telling me things she hadn’t planned to.

“Every time I had to do something bigger to get his attention. I cut my own hair when I was seven, but last year I charm spoke the dealer for the BMW – I do feel bad for that, by the way.” She added quickly but not insincerely.

“Don’t feel too bad, Piper. It wasn’t like you knew you could charmspeak him.” I pointed out.

She nodded, but looked like her head was a million miles away. “I don’t know what happened, really, between me and my Dad.”

Piper, almost against her will, said “He sent me to hundreds of different private schools – most boarding.” She continued, playing with her fingers in her lap. “And… I don’t know, I just… I missed him, defiantly but it was different to that as well. When he was still poorer, we were closer and we used to spend more time together but the richer he got the less time we spent together and it hurt, you know? It just _hurt_.”

The finality in her tone made me want to reach over and hug her, provide the only comfort I could, but I hesitated and she paused, biting down on her lip. “I know it’s stupid to complain when we live the life we do-” Piper started, sounding apologetic. I shook my head and reached over to squeeze her arm as gently as I could. 

“It’s not, not in this sense at least. You can be poor and happy or rich and miserable. It isn't wrong to want a closer relationship with your dad.”

Piper gave me a searching look. “But you don’t.”

“Don’t what?” I backed out as best I could, though I could tell it wasn’t going to work. Reasonably enough, Piper wanted to change the topic – turning the conversation to me was a pretty good plan. It was the kind of thing Annabeth or I would have done.

“Want a closer relationship with your dad.”

Pausing, I tried to find the right words and figure out how much of the truth I could tell Piper. I wanted, in an unfamiliar way, to tell her everything – spill my soul and all that. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get the words out, even if I did try.

“My dad… it’s a long story.” Piper nodded encouragingly and something Chiron had said echoed in my mind. ‘ _You can’t bottle everything up forever, child. At some point you’ll need to talk to someone_ ’.

“My mom was crazy.” I said bluntly, leaning my head backwards against the wall, I hadn’t told Grover this and I’d known him for years, Luke and I hadn’t told Annabeth until she needed medicine when we were already in Connecticut and we’d had to get some from there. First time I’d met Dad that day – I think he said ‘Hello’ to me once. The only person I’d really told was Mitchell – years ago. “She… she had serious issues. Just after Luke was born she offered to become the oracle for camp but something went wrong. Her mind got permanently snapped, but according to my brother she used to be halfway okay. By the time I was born she was completely out of it,” I continued.

Whatever Piper’s expression was, I couldn’t see it. I let my eyes drift close, they were already burning.

“Luke took care of me more than she did, we-” _used to go and get a milkshake at MacDonald’s every Sunday with Tori._ “We took care of each other. When Luke was twelve and I was four we ran away from home and ended up on the streets.” I paused again and gestured to the sewer, “We slept in strange places.”

I opened my eyes again and tried to force Tori’s name out my throat but I couldn’t. I’d never told Annabeth, I’d never even told Thalia that had been Luke. Not Mitchell or Ethan either. Looking at Piper, I wished she could read my mind and just _know_ what I was trying to say.

Piper nodded, enraptured. “We travelled with another girl called Thalia and Annabeth for the last two months. Eventually, Grover – he’s a satyr back at Camp – caught up with us and tried to get us back to camp but things kept going wrong.”

They’re had been a lot of us with Grover and Annabeth joining. The monsters smelt us easier and they did _not_ hold back. Ever.

“Eventually, when we were at the foot of Camp Half-Blood the monsters caught up to us. Thalia knew she was the one they were after so she stayed behind to hold them off.” I paused, running a hand through my hair. “She’s brave like that.”

“It didn’t matter in the end though – there were so many monsters she never stood a chance, for Christ's sake, none of us even had any training! As she lay dying, Zeus took pity on her and turned her into a tree,” Piper choked slightly and I might smiled but the memory made me burn with rage, “to protect that camp.”

“Is she…” Piper started then trailed off as if she wasn’t sure she wanted to know before biting the bullet. “Is she still a tree?”

“No,” I shook my head, allowing myself a small smile, “She’s Artemis’ Lieutenant.”

“Luke, Annabeth and I stayed at Camp for years after that, none of us ever left until Luke was given a Quest by Hermes, he had to fetch some golden apples for what seemed like no reason at all and he, well, I guess he found the whole thing an insult.” Piper shifted closer to me sympathetically, usually I would have moved away but there was something caring about Piper that made me feel safe.

“Long story short, Luke couldn’t get the apples and he came home – back to camp," I added, feeling like 'home' didn't fit anymore, like it itched at my skin.

I didn't know how to explain the rest of it – not without sounding more insane than I already did. How could I explain that even when I knew he was wrong – when he raised Kronos and killed people – that I stayed with Luke and I helped him. That I let the need for revenge and my love for Luke eat me up until there was nothing else left of me. How could I explain that everything in me was telling me what I was doing was wrong, but I didn't care and I let it all happen, would have let the world burn because _he's my brother._

Luke is dead.

That was the fundamental truth. I would've let the world burn, let everything slip away, watched everyone else I tried to care about die, but it didn't matter. Because Luke is dead.

Because none of it mattered! It was all just _stuff_. Civilisations had risen and fallen since the beginning of time, why should the gods be any different? Our system was flawed anyway – no one cared about anyone, they cared about how other people saw them – Luke wanted to start again. Burning it down to build something new… it could've worked. The world could've been better off. _Would've_ been better off if only Kronos hadn't been involved.

How could I explain that I knew what was going to happen to so many people – people I'd grown up with, that I could call friends – but hadn't stopped it because there was a chance Luke would be caught in the cross fire? She'd never trust me again, and she'd be right not to. I wasn't trustworthy, I wasn't honest or brave or good like the rest of them. The only reason I was still alive was pure, dumb _luck._ I didn't deserve it. I didn't deserve any of it. That was the beauty of it.

The way I saw things, no one deserved anything, so we may as well take what we want and indulge in it. The whole war, all I wanted was my brother alive and well. I'd fought like hell to get that, but in the end it hadn't been enough. Percy-sodding-Jackson had survived instead. It wasn't fair, but nothing was.

And there was no way I could get Piper to understand the way I loved Luke. Hell, I don't even understand half the time. For my entire life, he was the point that I revolved around. He was everything to me – I shouldn't have been able to live without him. And we never talked about things that went wrong, we always pushed it aside and swept it under the rug. I buried every bad feeling, every moment of dread, I ever had so deeply and for so long that when it erupted it almost swallowed me whole.

“I…” I laughed bitterly, almost hiccupping, “I’m sure you’ve heard most of this part already, but I worked with Luke – when he – I mean, he wasn’t – I mean…” I trailed off again, frustrated. “Luke tried to stop killing with killing and that never works, but he had good intentions. He wanted to stop half-bloods dying on the streets because their parents didn’t bother to help them.”

I bit my lip and dragged my hands through my hair. I wanted to tell Piper everything; tell her about Ethan and Tartarus and losing Alabaster and how Luke had slowly lost his mind, about Tori and Craig and Annabeth and Percy and poor Livia but the words stuck in my throat. My eyes burned and I blinked rapidly, frustrated and overtired.

I wanted to explain about the quests, and how years of fighting and training had turned me into a weapon – barely human, barely alive unless Luke was there. Not even to do anything, just to give me some kind of life and _point_. But Luke is dead now.

I wanted to tell her about the awful things I'd done and warn her away from the terror and fear and murder that demigod wars were; fighting monsters was one thing, but fighting each other... I'd watched it break people. I wanted to tell her about Livia and what I'd done - but I didn't want to tell her. It was unforgivable, I knew that. _I_ was unforgivable and I'd burn for it one day. I could still feel her blood on my body when I closed my eyes, or hear her screaming. 

I wanted to warn her, to tell her that nightmares and insomnia and sadness wreck you long after a war does, that if she stayed here she'd risk everything. I wanted to tell her to run as far away as she could to get to safety, to find her Dad and stay in Hollywood, where the worst monsters were the people, where the battles would play out on screens instead of behind her eyes every time she closed them. Where the monsters could be taken away by cops, where dangers came from fans not blades, but she wouldn't have left, even if I'd told her all that.

There was something inside her like fire, brave and bold, but I feared what would happen if she stayed. She'd be dangerous, formidable even, but Luke had been too. And Ethan, and Beckendorf, Silena and Michael Yew. That didn't save them. That never saved anybody.

I blinked again, but tears slipped down my cheeks. I could almost feel Luke's blood on my hands again; warm, wet and soaking into my clothes.

“Hey,” Piper said softly, “It’s alright.” She moved closer to me and after a moment’s hesitation wrapped her arms around my shoulders tightly. I hugged back, squeezing her waist and trying not to fall to pieces. I hadn’t meant to dwell on any of that, it was too raw and real. The only way I knew to survive was to ignore it – to run away from it and abandon it until it shrivelled up behind you. I couldn't look back at all the mistakes I made, the guilt would drown me. 

_Keep moving._ I told myself. _You need to focus on what matters: life and death, Tori, revenge._

I knew Piper hadn’t held anything back but there was so much I hadn’t told her. My stomach churned. “I had a sister too.” I said into Piper’s shoulder. She nodded running her fingers through my hair.

“Her names Tori. She’s mortal.”

I couldn’t say anymore and thank the Heavens for Piper, because she didn’t ask me too. I pulled back and smiled at her as much as I could, she grinned back – it was strained, but it probably made the whole conversation worth it.

“Sorry,” I apologised to Piper, “Didn’t mean to go all sad on you.”

Piper looked at me, hard. “It’s alright, and, I still think you’re pretty badass.”

“What?” I laughed, nudging her slightly. “Thanks, but you should meet Clarisse. _She’s_ badass.” I laughed, then thought about it, “When she's not being outsmarted by dryads.” I clarified.

Piper laughed to and snorted slightly. She blushed and ducked her head which made me laugh to. We tried to stop a few times but every time we looked at each other we just started laughing harder again.

We must have been louder than I realised, because it didn’t take long for us to wake Jason up. He jerked awake pretty much instantly and raised his head to look at us.

In hindsight, that was probably a mistake, because his hair had been pushed up on one side and he’d drooled a little in his sleep so as soon as Piper and I saw him, we started laughing even more.

“What?” He asked, voice gravelly from sleep. He didn’t mean to, but he just made us both laugh harder, although I had to admit he sounded pretty hot like that (really, it wasn't fair. I sounded like a possessed woman when I woke up).

He rolled his eyes and smoothed down some of his hair. “What?” He asked again, mouth curling into a grin. Piper bit her lip and looked at Jason while I giggled uncontrollably.

“Nothing.” I got out through the laughter which made Piper crack up again. I hadn’t felt a lightness like this in months; as I looked at Piper I couldn’t help but grin so widely it hurt.

I was overwhelming glad I’d met her. I hoped I could repay her in some way – be as good a friend to her as she was being to me.

“What?” Leo said blearily as he woke up, “Are we making fun of Jason again?”


	18. eighteen | the witch in the mall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to help him because I cared about him, even if that meant losing him.

**xviii**

**piper**

**December, 2015**

Finally we broke camp and started down the tunnel.

It twisted and turned and seemed to go on forever. I wasn’t sure what to expect at the end — a dungeon, a mad scientist’s lab, or maybe a sewer reservoir where all Porta-Potty sludge ends up, forming an evil toilet face large enough to swallow the world.

I tried to think clearly, but my mind was full of Clara. The things she described sounded awful, it started to make sense why she always looked so sad – to grow up the way she had, and then fight in a war... I couldn't imagine what that must have felt like. I knew she hadn’t told me everything, and I didn’t expect her too, but I hoped she had someone to tell. Clara seemed lonely, I guess her brother had been her entire world before he died. Maybe he still was?

Instead of anything like I’d thought, we found polished steel elevator doors, each one engraved with a cursive letter M. Next to the elevator was a directory, like for a department store.

“M for Macy’s?” I guessed. “I think they have one in downtown Chicago.”

“Or Monocle Motors still?” Leo said. “Guys, read the directory. It’s messed up.”

_Parking, Kennels, Main Entrance: Sewer Level_

_Furnishings and Café M: 1_

_Women’s Fashion and Magical Appliances: 2_

_Men’s Wear and Weaponry: 3_

_Cosmetics, Potions, Poisons & Sundries: 4_

“Random buildings are never a good sign,” Clara sighed, slipping one of her wicked looking knives out of its sheath, which was a bit unsettling, but to each their own and all that. “And what kinda store has kennels anyway?”

“Kennels for what?” I said. “And what kind of department store has its entrance in a sewer?”

“Or sells poisons,” Leo said. “Man, what does ‘sundries’ even mean? Is that like underwear?”

Jason took a deep breath. “When in doubt, start at the top.”

* * *

The doors slid open on the fourth floor, and the scent of perfume wafted into the elevator. Jason stepped out first, sword ready.

“Guys,” he said. “You’ve got to see this.”

I joined him and caught my breath. “This is not Macy’s.”

“Sherlock.” Clara said from next to me and when I looked at her I could see she was grinning.

The department store looked like the inside of a kaleidoscope. The entire ceiling was a stained glass mosaic with astrological signs around a giant sun. The daylight streaming through it washed everything in a thousand different colours. The upper floors made a ring of balconies around a huge central atrium, so we could see all the way down to the ground floor. Gold railings glittered so brightly, they were hard to look at.

Aside from the stained glass ceiling and the elevator, I couldn’t see any other windows or doors, but two sets of glass escalators ran between the levels. The carpeting was a riot of oriental patterns and colours, and the racks of merchandise were just as bizarre. There was too much to take it at once, but I saw normal stuff like shirt racks and shoe trees mixed in with armoured manikins, beds of nails, and fur coats that seemed to be moving.

Leo stepped to the railing and looked down. “Check it out.” Clara’s stormy eyes were tracking around the store; for all Annabeth looked like she was thinking a hundred things at once, Clara always came off intense, determined like she was just waiting for someone to go homicidal at any given time. Or, less kindly, like she could go homicidal at any time.

In the middle of the atrium a fountain sprayed water twenty feet into the air, changing colour from red to yellow to blue. The pool glittered with gold coins, and on either side of the fountain stood a gilded cage — like an oversize canary cage.

Inside one, a miniature hurricane swirled, and lightning flashed. Somebody had imprisoned the storm spirits, and the cage shuddered as they tried to get out. In the other, frozen like a statue, was a short, buff satyr, holding a tree-branch club.

“Coach Hedge!” I said. “We’ve got to get down there.”

A voice said, “May I help you find something?”

All four of us jumped back.

A woman had just appeared in front of us. She wore an elegant black dress with diamond jewellery, and she looked like a retired fashion model – Dad was friends with a few and I hoped she didn’t act like one too — maybe fifty years old, though it was hard for me to judge. Her long dark hair swept over one shoulder, and her face was gorgeous in that surreal super-model way — thin and haughty and cold, not quite human. With their long red-painted nails, her fingers looked more like talons.

She smiled. “I’m so happy to see new customers. How may I help you?”

Leo and Clara glanced at Jason like, _All yours_.

Maybe it was a thing with superhumanly beautiful women? They all had to hit on Jason.

“Um,” Jason started awkwardly, “is this your store?”

The woman nodded. “I found it abandoned, you know. I understand so many stores are, these days. I decided it would make the perfect place. I love collecting tasteful objects, helping people, and offering quality goods at a reasonable price. So this seemed a good… how do you say… first acquisition in this country.”

She spoke with a pleasing accent, but I couldn’t guess where from. Clearly she wasn’t hostile, though. Jason started to relax. Her voice was rich and exotic. Tension drained out of Jason's shoulders and he smiled gently, glibly. He looked more chilled out than I’d ever seen him.

“So you’re new to America?” he asked.

“I am… new,” the woman agreed. “I am the Princess of Colchis. My friends call me Your Highness. Now, what are you looking for?”

I had heard of rich foreigners buying American department stores. Of course most of the time they didn’t sell poisons, living fur coats, storm spirits, or satyrs.

I poked him in the ribs. “Jason …”

“Um, right. Actually, Your Highness…” He pointed to the gilded cage on the first floor. “That’s our friend down there, Gleeson Hedge. The satyr. Could we… have him back, please?”

_Fantastic negotiating Jason. A+._

“Of course!” the princess agreed immediately. “I would love to show you my inventory. First, may I know your names?”

Jason hesitated and I almost relaxed but I could see him change his mind. 

I started to say, “Jason, I wouldn’t—”

“This is Piper,” he said. “This is Leo. This is Clara. I’m Jason.”

The princess fixed her eyes on him and, just for a moment, her face literally glowed, blazing with so much anger, I could see her skull beneath her skin. Then the moment passed, and Her Highness looked like a normal elegant woman again, with a cordial smile and a soothing voice.

“Jason. What an interesting name,” she said, her eyes as cold as the Chicago wind. “I think we’ll have to make a special deal for you. Come, children. Let’s go shopping.”

I wanted to run for the elevator.

My second choice: attack the weird princess now, because I was sure a fight was coming. The way the lady’s face glowed when she’d heard Jason’s name had been bad enough. Now Her Highness was smiling like nothing had happened, and Jason, Clara and Leo didn’t seem to think anything was wrong.

The princess gestured toward the cosmetics counter. “Shall we start with the potions?”

“Cool,” Jason said.

“Guys,” I interrupted, “we’re here to get the storm spirits and Coach Hedge. If this—princess—is really our friend—”

“Oh, I’m better than a friend, my dear,” Her Highness said. “I’m a saleswoman.” Her diamonds sparkled, and her eyes glittered like a snake’s — cold and dark. “Don’t worry. We’ll work our way down to the first floor, eh?”

“Awesome,” Clara said, sounding more southern than usual. Her voice made me think of sunshine and ice tea through my panic, and it was pretty much the only thing that kept me grounded.

Leo nodded eagerly. “Sure, yeah! That sounds okay. Right, Piper?”

I did my best to stare daggers at him: _No, it is not okay!_

“Of course it’s okay.” Her Highness put her hands on Leo’s and Jason’s shoulders and steered them toward the cosmetics. “Come along, boys.”

Clara smiled at me, easy and genuine and I knew something was really wrong. I’d seen her smile before, of course, but she’d never looked that happy. It was kind of sad really – I could tell she wasn’t herself because she didn’t look lost enough.

I had no choice but to follow.

I hated department stores — mostly because I’d gotten caught stealing from several of them. Well, not exactly caught, and not exactly stealing. I’d talked salesmen into giving me computers, new boots, a gold ring, once even a lawn mower, though I had no idea why I wanted one. I never kept the stuff. I just did it to get Dad’s attention. Usually I talked her neighbourhood UPS guy into taking the stuff back. But of course the salesmen I duped always came to their senses and called the police, who eventually tracked me down.

Anyway, I wasn’t thrilled to be back in a department store — especially one run by a crazy princess who glowed in the dark.

“And here,” the princess said, “is the finest assortment of magical mixtures anywhere.”

The counter was crammed with bubbling beakers and smoking vials on tripods. Lining the display shelves were crystal flasks—some shaped like swans or honey bear dispensers. The liquids inside were every colour, from glowing white to polka-dotted. And the smells—ugh! Some were pleasant, like fresh-baked cookies or roses, but they were mixed with the scents of burning tires, skunk spray, and gym lockers.

The princess pointed to a blood red vial—a simple test tube with a cork stopper. “This one will heal any disease.”

“Even cancer?” Leo asked. “Leprosy? Hangnails?”

“Any disease, sweet boy. And this vial”—she pointed to a swan-shaped container with blue liquid inside—“will kill you very painfully.”

“Awesome,” Jason said. His voice sounded dazed and sleepy.

“Jason,” I said. “We’ve got a job to do. Remember?” I tried to put power into my words, to snap him out of his trance with charmspeak, but my voice sounded shaky even to me. This princess woman scared me too much, made my confidence crumble, just the way I’d felt back in the Aphrodite cabin with Drew.

“Job to do,” Jason muttered. “Sure. But shopping first, okay?”

I growled and turned to Clara, I might have a better chance with her. “Clara!” I hissed, she looked at me and for a split second her blue eyes cleared, but the glazed over again. “Clara, please.” I implored. She shifted suddenly, and I pressed my luck.

“This isn’t right.” I reminded her. “You know it isn’t.” Clara nodded, but she still looked quite far away.

It struck me then, how I could get her back but I felt sick with myself the moment I thought it. I looked around desperately, but I couldn’t see anything else. I dug my fingers into the wound in Clara’s side. She gasped in pain and clarity flooded her face.

“We’re in danger.” I said quickly, holding onto her arms as she swayed. I could see I was losing her, so I tried my last play. “Think of Luke!” I said, feeling like the worst person on the planet. “Think of Tori.”

That did it. Clara looked at me, her face was raw with emotion, but she covered it quickly. I instantly went to apologise, but she shook her head. “I’m sorry, I swear I was just trying to pull you out of it–”

“It’s fine,” Clara reassured, holding my arm. “Thank you, I needed that.” I nodded, but I still felt guilty. She nodded to the Princess, “Well hey, at least I can keep myself sane now.” She shrugged, wiggling her fingers towards her bloody wound. “We should probably figure out a way to kill the bitch though.”

I nodded to Clara, and turned back to the Princess, feeling a little more confident, although I was still tensed for a fight.

The princess beamed at Leo. “Then we have potions for resisting fire—”

“Got that covered,” Leo said.

“No shit.” Clara mumbled, looking over the bottles, focusing on the cure all.

“Indeed?” The princess studied Leo’s face more closely. “You don’t appear to be wearing my trademark sunscreen… but no matter. We also have potions that cause blindness, insanity, sleep, or—”

“Wait.” I was looking at the red vial. “Could that potion cure lost memory?”

The princess narrowed her eyes. “Possibly. Yes. Quite possibly. Why, my dear? Have you forgotten something important?”

I tried to keep my expression neutral, but if that vial could cure Jason’s memory …

Then I felt cold, I remembered what everyone had been saying about Jason. What if when Jason found out who he was he found out that he was their enemy, or something? He might come out of his amnesia and decide he hated Camp Half Blood. Or decided he wanted nothing to do with any of us anymore?

It doesn’t matter, I decided, which kind of surprised me.

Jason always looked so anguished when he tried to remember things. I hated seeing him that way. I wanted to help him because I cared about him, even if that meant losing him. And maybe it would make this trip through Her Craziness’s department store worthwhile.

Surprisingly, the thought of our Mist-relationship being absolutely dead didn’t even strike me. I suppose if all of those feelings were fake, as I remembered how things really happened, I’d forget them. It might be good to get a fresh start – a real friendship with Jason (who looked at least seventeen).

“How much?” I asked.

The princess got a faraway look in her eyes. “Well, now… The price is always tricky. I love helping people. Honestly, I do. And I always keep my bargains, but sometimes people try to cheat me.” Her gaze drifted to Jason. “Once, for instance, I met a handsome young man who wanted a treasure from my father’s kingdom. We made a bargain, and I promised to help him steal it.”

“From your own dad?” Jason still looked half in a trance, but the idea seemed to bother him.

“Oh, don’t worry,” the princess said. “I demanded a high price. The young man had to take me away with him. He was quite good-looking, dashing, strong …” She looked at me. “I’m sure, my dear, you understand how one might be attracted to such a hero, and want to help him.”

I tried to control my emotions, but I probably blushed. I got the creepiest feeling the princess could read my thoughts. I also found the princess’s story disturbingly familiar. Pieces of old myths I’d read with my dad started coming together, but this woman couldn’t be the one I was thinking of.

Beside me, I saw Clara pale and lay a hand on her knife. Not good.

“At any rate,” Her Highness continued, “My hero had to do many impossible tasks, and I’m not bragging when I say he couldn’t have done them without me. I betrayed my own family to win the hero his prize. And still he cheated me of my payment.”

“Cheated?” Jason frowned, as if trying to remember something important.

“That’s messed up,” Leo said.

Her Highness patted his cheek affectionately. “I’m sure you don’t need to worry, Leo. You seem honest. You would always pay a fair price, wouldn’t you?”

Leo nodded. “What were we buying again? I’ll take two.”

I broke in: “So, the vial, Your Highness — how much?”

The princess assessed my clothes, my face, my posture, as if putting a price tag on one slightly used demigod. _Rude_.

“Would you give anything for it, my dear?” the princess asked. “I sense that you would.”

The words washed over me as powerfully as a good surfing wave. The force of the suggestion nearly lifted me off my feet. I wanted to pay any price. I wanted to say yes.

Was this was what people felt when I used charmspeak? Guilt settled low in my stomach.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Clara curl her fingers into the cut on her side and fresh blood start to seep out. “She asked for a price.” Clara backed me up. Her voice was hard and cold, like ice.

I summoned all my willpower. “No, I won’t pay any price. But a fair price, maybe. After that, we need to leave. Right, guys?”

Just for a moment, my words seemed to have some effect. The boys looked confused.

“Leave?” Jason said.

“You mean… after shopping?” Leo asked.

I wanted to scream, but the princess tilted her head, examining me with newfound respect.

“Impressive,” the princess said. “Not many people could resist my suggestions. Are you a child of Aphrodite, my dear? Ah, yes—I should have seen it. No matter. Perhaps we should shop a while longer before you decide what to buy, eh?”

“But the vial—”

“Now, boys.” She turned to Jason and Leo. Her voice was so much more powerful than mine, so full of confidence, I didn’t stand a chance. “Would you like to see more?”

“Sure,” Jason said.

“Okay,” Leo said.

Clara swayed again, saying yes before pulling painfully at the cut, probably opening it even further. _Gods, I couldn’t imagine doing that to myself._

“Excellent,” the princess said. “You’ll need all the help you can get if you’re to make it to the Bay Area.”

My hand moved to my dagger. I thought about my dream of the mountaintop — the scene Enceladus had shown me, a place I knew, where she was supposed to betray her friends in two days.

“The Bay Area?” I said. “Why the Bay Area?”

The princess smiled. “Well, that’s where they’ll die, isn’t it?”

Then she led them toward the escalators, Jason and Leo still looking excited to shop. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Clara slide two of the vials (painful death and cure all) into her pocket.

_Right,_ I thought, half wanting to smile, _Daughter of the God of Thieves._


	19. nineteen | pain (and promises)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Leo, Jason, Clara — my price is so simple. Clara, my sweet, you’ll go to Olympus, to be dealt with at Zeus’ pleasure. And you two boys, why don’t you fight? If you get injured, or even killed, no problem. We’ll just throw you into the fountain and you’ll be better than ever. You do want to fight, don’t you? You resent each other!”

**vix**

**piper**

**December, 2015**

I cornered the princess as Jason and Leo went off to check out the living fur coats. Clara was shoulder to shoulder with me, disturbingly, one of her hands was still soaked in her own blood and she was pale. But from what I’d seen of her, I figured she’d still be lethal in a fight.

“You want them shopping for their deaths?” I demanded.

“Mmm.” The princess blew dust off a display case of swords. “I’m a seer, my dear. I know your little secret. But we don’t want to dwell on that, do we? The boys are having such fun.”

Leo laughed as he tried on a hat that seemed to be made from enchanted raccoon fur. Its ringed tail twitched, and its little legs wiggled frantically as Leo walked. Jason was ogling the men’s sportswear. Boys interested in shopping for clothes? A definite sign they were under an evil spell.

I glared at the princess. “Who are you?”

“I told you, my dear. I’m the Princess of Colchis.”

“Where’s Colchis?”

The princess’s expression turned a little sad. “Where was Colchis, you mean. My father ruled the far shores of the Black Sea, as far to the east as a Greek ship could sail in those days. But Colchis is no more — lost eons ago.”

“Eons?” I asked. The princess looked no more than fifty, but a bad feeling started settling over me — something King Boreas had mentioned back in Quebec. “How old are you?”

The princess laughed. “A lady should avoid asking or answering that question. Let’s just say the, ah, immigration process to enter your country took quite a while. My patron finally brought me through. She made all this possible.” The princess swept her hand around the department store.

“Who is she?” Clara demanded. She slide her knives out and held them by her sides, ready to slice the Princess open.

My mouth tasted like metal. “Your patron…”

“Oh, yes. She doesn’t bring just anyone through, mind you — only those who have special talents, such as me. And really, she insists on so little — a store entrance that must be underground so she can, ah, monitor my clientele; and a favour now and then. In exchange for a new life? Really, it was the best bargain I’d made in centuries.”

Run, I thought. We have to get out of here.

But before I could even turn my thoughts into words, Jason called, “Hey, check it out!”

From a rack labelled distressed clothing, he held up a purple T-shirt like the one he’d worn on the school field trip—except this shirt looked as if it had been clawed by tigers.

Jason frowned. “Why does this look so familiar?”

“Jason, it’s like yours,” I said. “Now we really have to leave.” But I wasn’t sure he could even hear me anymore through the princess’s enchantment.

“Nonsense,” the princess said. “The boys aren’t done, are they? And yes, my dear. Those shirts are very popular — trade ins from previous customers. It suits you.”

“For God’s sake, Jason,” Clara snapped, “Listen to the Piper.” He shifted towards her like he half heard her, but it passed quickly. I heard Clara make a noise of frustration.

Leo picked up an orange Camp Half-Blood tee with a hole through the middle, as if it had been hit by a javelin. Next to that was a dented bronze breastplate pitted with corrosion — acid, maybe? — and a Roman toga slashed to pieces and stained with something that looked disturbingly like dried blood.

“Your Highness,” I said, trying to control my nerves. “Why don’t you tell the boys how you betrayed your family? I’m sure they’d like to hear that story.”

My words didn’t have any effect on the princess, but the boys turned, suddenly interested.

“More story?” Leo asked.

“I like the story,” Jason agreed.

“I’m sure it’ll be fascinating, Medea.” Clara smiled, but it was like acid. I was right then. This was Princess Medea, wife of the original Jason.

The princess flashed me an irritated look. “Oh, one will do strange things for love, Piper. You should know that. I fell for that young hero, in fact, because your mother Aphrodite had me under a spell. If it wasn’t for her — but I can’t hold a grudge against a goddess, can I?”

The princess’s tone made her meaning clear: I can take it out on you.

“But that hero took you with him when he fled Colchis,” I remembered. “Didn’t he, Your Highness? He married you just as he promised.”

The look in the princess’s eyes made me want to apologize, but she didn’t back down.

“At first,” Her Highness admitted, “it seemed he would keep his word. But even after I helped him steal my father’s treasure, he still needed my help. As we fled, my brother’s fleet came after us. His warships overtook us. He would have destroyed us, but I convinced my brother to come aboard our ship first and talk under a flag of truce. He trusted me.”

“And you killed your own brother,” I said.

Clara nodded. “You threw him in the sea.”

“What?” Jason stirred. For a moment he looked almost like himself. “Killed your own—”

“No,” the princess snapped. “Those stories are lies. It was my new husband and his men who killed my brother, though they couldn’t have done it without my deception. They threw his body into the sea, and the pursuing fleet had to stop and search for it so they could give my brother a proper burial. This gave us time to get away. All this, I did for my husband. And he forgot our bargain. He betrayed me in the end.”

Jason still looked uncomfortable. “What did he do?”

The princess held the sliced-up toga against Jason’s chest, as if measuring him for an assassination. “Don’t you know the story, my boy? You of all people should. You were named for him.”

“Jason,” I said. “The original Jason. But then you’re — you should be dead!”

The princess smiled. “As I said, a new life in a new country. Certainly I made mistakes. I turned my back on my own people. I was called a traitor, a thief, a liar, a murderess. But I acted out of love.” She turned to the boys and gave them a pitiful look, batting her eyelashes. I could feel the sorcery washing over them, taking control more firmly than ever. Clara rocked forwards again, pressing her fingers deep into the wound in her side, opening it even further and gasping sharply in pain. I looked at her, terrified she’d accidentally make herself bleed out, but she just smiled at me reassuringly. The effect was ruined slightly by how drained of colour her face was.

“Wouldn’t you do the same for someone you loved, my dears?”

“Oh, sure,” Jason said.

“Okay,” Leo said.

“For Luke.” Clara replied, I guess she hadn’t meant to, because she looked really surprised after. Her face fell, and she looked sick with guilt for some reason.

“Guys!” I ground my teeth in frustration. “Don’t you see who she is? Don’t you—”

“Let’s continue, shall we?” the princess said breezily. “I believe you wanted to talk about a price for the storm spirits—and your satyr.”

Leo got distracted on the second floor with the appliances. “Are you alright?” I asked Clara, her side was still bleeding. She must have been in so much pain, I almost wished I hadn’t woken her up, but she was the main thing keeping me calm.

“I’m good.” Clara grinned painfully, “I’ve definitely had worse.” That I didn’t doubt, but it wasn’t exactly comforting.

“No way,” he said. “Is that an armoured forge?”

Before Clara or I could stop him, he hopped off the escalator and ran over to a big oval oven that looked like a barbecue on steroids.

When we caught up with him, the princess said, “You have good taste. This is the H-2000, designed by Hephaestus himself. Hot enough to melt Celestial bronze or Imperial gold.”

Jason flinched as if he recognized that term. “Imperial gold?” I looked at Clara for an explanation but she looked as lost as I was.

The princess nodded. “Yes, my dear. Like that weapon so cleverly concealed in your pocket. To be properly forged, Imperial gold had to be consecrated in the Temple of Jupiter on Capitoline Hill in Rome. Quite a powerful and rare metal, but like the Roman emperors, quite volatile. Be sure never to break that blade…” She smiled pleasantly. “Rome was after my time, of course, but I do hear stories. And now over here — this golden throne is one of my finest luxury items. Hephaestus made it as a punishment for his mother, Hera. Sit in it and you’ll be immediately trapped.”

Leo apparently took this as an order. He began walking toward it in a trance.

“Leo, don’t!” I warned.

“Stop!” Clara ordered. Her words had no charmspeak, but they were powerful.

He blinked. “How much for both?”

“Oh, the seat I could let you have for five great deeds. The forge, seven years of servitude. And for only a bit of your strength—” She led Leo into the appliance section, giving him prices on various items.

I didn’t want to leave him alone with her, but I had to try reasoning with Jason. “I’ll follow Leo.” Clara said, as though she’d read my mind. She darted after Leo, slipping a silver dagger from one of the shelves into her backpack. I pulled him aside and slapped him across the face.

“Ow,” he muttered sleepily. “What was that for?”

“Snap out of it!” I hissed.

“What do you mean?”

“She’s charmspeaking you. Can’t you feel it?”

He knit his eyebrows. “She seems okay.”

“She’s not okay! She shouldn’t even be alive! She was married to Jason — the other Jason — three thousand years ago. Remember what Boreas said — something about the souls no longer being confined to Hades? It’s not just monsters who can’t stay dead. She’s come back from the Underworld!”

Jason shook his head uneasily. “She’s not a ghost.”

“No, she’s worse! She’s—”

“Children.” The princess was back with Leo and Clara in tow. Her fingers were wet again with fresh blood and I winced. “If you please, we will now see what you came for. That is what you want, yes?”

I had to choke back a scream. I was tempted to pull out my dagger and take on this witch just me and Clara, but I didn’t like our chances — not in the middle of Her Highness’s department store while the boys were under a spell. I couldn’t even be sure they’d take mine and Clara’s side in a fight. I had to figure out a better plan.

We took the escalator down to the base of the fountain. For the first time, I noticed two large bronze sundials — each about the size of a trampoline — inlaid on the marble tile floor to the north and south of the fountain. The gilded oversize canary cages stood to the east and west, and the farthest one held the storm spirits. They were so densely packed, spinning around like a super-concentrated tornado, that I couldn’t tell how many there were — dozens, at least.

“Hey,” Leo said, “Coach Hedge looks okay!”

We ran to the nearest canary cage, hope surged through me. It felt like a real chance for a few seconds. The old satyr seemed to have been petrified at the moment he was sucked into the sky above the Grand Canyon. He was frozen mid-shout, his club raised over his head like he was ordering the gym class to drop and give him fifty. His curly hair stuck up at odd angles. If I just concentrated on certain details — the bright orange polo shirt, the wispy goatee, the whistle around his neck — I could imagine Coach Hedge as his good old annoying self. But it was hard to ignore the stubby horns on his head, and the fact that he had furry goat legs and hooves instead of workout pants and Nikes.

“Yes,” the princess said. “I always keep my wares in good condition. We can certainly barter for the storm spirits and the satyr. A package deal. If we come to terms, I’ll even throw in the vial of healing potion, and you can go in peace.” She gave me a shrewd look. “That’s better than starting unpleasantness, isn’t it, dear?”

Don’t trust her, warned a voice in my head. If Clara and I were right about this lady’s identity, nobody would be leaving in peace. A fair deal wasn’t possible. It was all a trick. But Leo and Jason were looking at me, nodding urgently and mouthing, Say yes!

Clara grasped by hand and squeezed tightly – silent support.

“A fair deal?” She asked the Princess.

“We can negotiate,” I said.

“Totally!” Leo agreed. “Name your price.”

“Leo!” I snapped.

“That ain’t negotiating, Spanners.” Clara pointed out, rolling her eyes.

The princess chuckled. “Name my price? Perhaps not the best haggling strategy, my boy, but at least you know a thing’s value. Freedom is very valuable indeed. You would ask me to release this satyr, who attacked my storm winds—”

“Who attacked us,” I interjected.

Her Highness shrugged. “As I said, my patron asks me for small favours from time to time. Sending the storm spirits to abduct you — that was one. I assure you it was nothing personal. And no harm done, as you came here, in the end, of your own free will! At any rate, you want the satyr freed, and you want my storm spirits — who are very valuable servants, by the way — so you can hand them over to that tyrant Aeolus. Doesn’t seem quite fair, does it? The price will be high.”

I could see that Jason and Leo were ready to offer anything, promise anything. Before they could speak, I played my last card.

“You’re Medea,” I said. “You helped the original Jason steal the Golden Fleece. You’re one of the most evil villains in Greek mythology. Jason, Leo — don’t trust her.”

I put all the intensity I could gather into those words. I was utterly sincere, and it seemed to have some effect. Jason stepped away from the sorceress.

“She’s right.” Clara backed me up. “You know she is. Listen to her.” The last part was a command, and both of the boys looked momentarily compelled to obey.

Leo scratched his head and looked around like he was coming out of a dream.

“What are we doing, again?”

“Boys!” The princess spread her hands in a welcoming gesture. Her diamond jewellery glittered, and her painted fingers curled like blood-tipped claws. “It’s true, I’m Medea. But I’m so misunderstood. Oh, Piper, Clara, my dears, you don’t know what it was like for women in the old days. We had no power, no leverage. Often we couldn’t even choose our own husbands. But I was different. I chose my own destiny by becoming a sorceress. Is that so wrong? I made a pact with Jason: my help to win the fleece, in exchange for his love. A fair deal. He became a famous hero! Without me, he would’ve died unknown on the shores of Colchis.”

Jason — our Jason — scowled. “Then… you really did die three thousand years ago? You came back from the Underworld?”

“Death no longer holds me, young hero,” Medea said. “Thanks to my patron, I am flesh and blood again.”

“You… re-formed?” Leo blinked.

“Like a monster.” Clara scowled.

Medea spread her fingers, and steam hissed from her nails, like water splashed on hot iron. “You have no idea what’s happening, do you, my dears? It is so much worse than a stirring of monsters from Tartarus. My patron knows that giants and monsters are not her greatest servants. I am mortal. I learn from my mistakes. And now that I have returned to the living, I will not be cheated again. Now, here is my price for what you ask.”

“Guys,” I said. “The original Jason left Medea because she was crazy and bloodthirsty.”

“Lies!” Medea shrieked.

“On the way back from Colchis, Jason’s ship landed at another kingdom, and Jason agreed to dump Medea and marry the king’s daughter.”

“After I bore him two children!” Medea said. “Still he broke his promise! I ask you, was that right?”

Jason and Leo dutifully shook their heads, but I wasn’t through.

“It may not have been right,” she said, “but neither was Medea’s revenge. She murdered her own children to get back at Jason.”

“She poisoned his new wife and fled the kingdom.” Clara added, glaring at Medea, knives out of their sheaths and glinting in the light.

Medea snarled. “An invention to ruin my reputation! The people of the Corinth — that unruly mob — killed my children and drove me out. Jason did nothing to protect me. He robbed me of everything. So yes, I sneaked back into the palace and poisoned his lovely new bride. It was only fair — a suitable price.”

Beside me, Clara laughed mirthlessly. Cold and cruel.

“You’re insane,” I condemned her, I felt like ice was running through my blood.

“I am the victim!” Medea wailed. “I died with my dreams shattered, but no longer. I know now not to trust heroes. When they come asking for treasures, they will pay a heavy price. Especially when the one asking has the name of Jason!”

The fountain turned bright red. I drew my dagger, but my hand was shaking almost too badly to hold it. “Jason, Leo — it’s time to go. Now.”

“Before you’ve closed the deal?” Medea asked. “What of your quest, boys? And my price is so easy. Did you know this fountain is magic? If a dead man were to be thrown into it, even if he was chopped to pieces, he would pop back out fully formed—stronger and more powerful than ever.” She turned to Clara, laying on the charmspeak, “Even your beloved brother could be resurrected. All you’d need to do would be to climb in.”

Horrified, I watched as Clara’s eyes glazed over again. She stepped instantly towards the fountain. Panicked, I wrapped my arms around her waist to pull her back. I must have jolted her injury, because she almost came back to herself for a second. It didn’t last.

“Seriously?” Leo asked.

“Leo, she’s lying,” I said. “She did that trick with somebody before — a king, I think. She convinced his daughters to cut him to pieces so he could come out of the water young and healthy again, but it just killed him!”

“Ridiculous,” Medea said, and I could hear the power charged in every syllable. “Leo, Jason, Clara — my price is so simple. Clara, my sweet, you’ll go to Olympus, to be dealt with at Zeus’ pleasure. And you two boys, why don’t you fight? If you get injured, or even killed, no problem. We’ll just throw you into the fountain and you’ll be better than ever. You do want to fight, don’t you? You resent each other!”

“Guys, no!” I said. But they were already glaring at each other, as if it was just dawning on them how they really felt.

I had never felt more helpless. Clara was lost, eyes blank and sad – what did Medea mean, be dealt with at Zeus’ pleasure? – Leo and Jason were practically unreachable. Now I understood what real sorcery looked like. I’d always thought magic meant wands and fireballs, but this was worse. Medea didn’t just rely on poisons and potions. Her most potent weapon was her voice.

“He’ll kill me,” Clara said, her voice was disturbingly wistful. “I’ll see Luke again.” I felt like my heart stopped in my chest.

_Oh God, Clara._

Anger bubbled in me. Clara had been kind to me since I arrived at Camp – I didn’t care what she’d done in the past. She was my friend. I wouldn’t let Medea hurt her.

Leo scowled. “Jason’s always the star. He always gets the attention and takes me for granted.”

“You’re annoying, Leo,” Jason said. “You never take anything seriously. You can’t even fix a dragon.”

“Stop!” I pleaded, but both drew weapons — Jason his gold sword, and Leo a hammer from his tool belt. I wrapped my arms more tightly around Clara to try to keep her safe.

“Let them go, Piper,” Medea urged. “I’m doing you a favour. Let it happen now, and it will make your choice so much easier. Enceladus will be pleased. You could have your father back today!”

Medea’s charmspeak didn’t work on me, but the sorceress still had a persuasive voice. Dad back today? Despite my best intentions, I wanted that. I wanted my Dad back so much it hurt.

“You work for Enceladus,” I said.

Medea laughed. “Serve a giant? No. But we all serve the same greater cause — a patron you cannot begin to challenge. Walk away, child of Aphrodite. This does not have to be your death, too. Save yourself, and your father can go free.”

Leo and Jason were still facing off, ready to fight, but they looked unsteady and confused — waiting for another order. Part of them had to be resisting, I hoped. This went completely against their nature. Clara seemed like a lost little girl – she wasn’t trying to move towards the fountain, she just looked confused and tired. I could practically feel the grief roll off her.

“Listen to me, girl.” Medea plucked a diamond off her bracelet and threw it into a spray of water from the fountain. As it passed through the multi-coloured light, Medea said, “O Iris, goddess of the rainbow, show me the office of Tristan McLean.”

The mist shimmered, and I saw Dad’s study. Sitting behind his desk, talking on the phone, was his assistant, Jane, in her dark business suit, her hair swirled in a tight bun.

“Hello, Jane,” Medea said.

Jane hung up the phone calmly. “How can I help you, ma’am? Hello, Piper.”

“You—” I was so angry I could hardly talk.

“Yes, child,” Medea said. “Your father’s assistant. Quite easy to manipulate. An organized mind for a mortal, but incredibly weak.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Jane said.

“Don’t mention it,” Medea said. “I just wanted to congratulate you, Jane. Getting Mr. McLean to leave town so suddenly, take his jet to Oakland without alerting the press or the police — well done! No one seems to know where he’s gone. And telling him his daughter’s life was on the line — that was a nice touch to get his cooperation.”

“Yes,” Jane agreed in a bland tone, as if she were sleepwalking. “He was quite cooperative when he believed Piper was in danger.”

I looked down at my dagger. The blade trembled in my hand. I couldn’t use it for a weapon any better than Helen of Troy could, but it was still a looking glass, and what I saw in it was a scared girl with no chance of winning. I couldn’t fight without risking Clara’s life, or letting Leo and Jason kill each other.

“I may have new orders for you, Jane,” Medea said. “If the girl cooperates, it may be time for Mr. McLean to come home. Would you arrange a suitable cover story for his absence, just in case? And I imagine the poor man will need some time in a psychiatric hospital.”

“Yes, ma’am. I will stand by.”

The image faded, and Medea turned to me. “There, you see?”

“You lured my dad into a trap,” I said, trembling with rage. “You helped the giant—”

“Oh, please, dear. You’ll work yourself into a fit! I’ve been preparing for this war for years, even before I was brought back to life. I’m a seer, as I said. I can tell the future as well as your little oracle. Years ago, still suffering in the Fields of Punishment, I had a vision of the eight in your so-called Great Prophecy. I watched your friend betray her family, I watched her lose everything and fall deeper into the underworld than I'd ever gone. I saw your friend Leo here, and saw that he would be an important enemy someday. I stirred the consciousness of my patron, gave her this information, and she managed to wake just a little — just enough to visit him.”

“Leo’s mother,” I said. “Leo, listen to this! She helped get your mother killed!”

“Uh-huh,” Leo mumbled, in a daze. He frowned at his hammer. “So… I just attack Jason? That’s okay?”

“Perfectly safe,” Medea promised. “And Jason, strike him hard. Show me you are worthy of your namesake.”

“No!” I ordered. I knew it was my last chance. “Jason, Leo — she’s tricking you. Put down your weapons.”

The sorceress rolled her eyes. “Please, girl. You’re no match for me. I trained with my aunt, the immortal Circe. I can drive men mad or heal them with my voice. What hope do these puny young heroes have against me? Now, boys, kill each other!”

“Circe…” Clara murmured. “I met her.” She looked me in the eyes, for a second I thought she’d come back to herself, but she still looked sad. I searched the room, looking desperately for anything that could help us. “She turned Percy into a guinea pig.”

_What?_

I almost swung round to look at Clara, but saw Leo and Jason jerk towards each other out of the corner of me eye, and filed Clara’s comment away as something to be dealt with later.

“Jason, Leo, listen to me.” I put all of my emotion into my voice. For years I’d been trying to control myself and not show weakness, but now I poured everything into what I said — my fear, my desperation, my anger. I knew I might be signing my dad’s death warrant, but I cared about my friends, I couldn’t let them hurt each other. “Medea is charming you. It’s part of her magic. You are best friends. Don’t fight each other. Fight her!”

They hesitated, and I could feel the spell shatter. Clara swayed dangerously – a mixture of blood loss and shock at a guess.

Jason blinked. “Leo, was I just about to stab you?”

“Something about my mother?” Leo frowned, then turned toward Medea. “You… you’re working for Dirt Woman. You sent her to the machine shop.” He lifted his arm. “Lady, I got a three-pound hammer with your name on it.”

“Bah!” Medea sneered. “I’ll simply collect payment another way.”

“I know you’ve been dead for a while,” Clara said in a voice that should have been soft, but sounded like a knife's edge. “But you should’ve known Zeus cleared me.” She looked Medea dead in her eyes. “And talking about Luke is the fastest way to get a knife in your _fucking_ throat.”

Medea pressed one of the mosaic tiles on the floor, and the building rumbled. Jason swung his sword at Medea at the same time as Clara shot towards her with her knives, but she dissolved into smoke and reappeared at the base of the escalator.

“You’re slow, hero!” She laughed. “Take your frustration out on my pets!”

Before Jason could go after her, the giant bronze sundials at either end of the fountain swung open. Two snarling gold beasts—flesh-and-blood winged dragons—crawled out from the pits below. Each was the size of a camper van, maybe not large compared to Festus, but large enough.

“So that’s what’s in the kennels,” Leo said meekly.

“Better than a drakon.” Clara shrugged, I looked at her sideways and she grinned. “Tell you later.” She promised.

The dragons spread their wings and hissed. I could feel the heat coming off their glittering skin. One turned his angry orange eyes on me.

“Don’t look them in the eye!” Jason warned. “They’ll paralyze you.”

“Indeed!” Medea was leisurely riding the escalator up, leaning against the handrail as she watched the fun. “These two dears have been with me a long time — sun dragons, you know, gifts from my grandfather Helios. They pulled my chariot when I left Corinth, and now they will be your destruction. Ta-ta!”

The dragons lunged. Leo and Jason charged to intercept. I was amazed how fearlessly the boys attacked — working like a team who had trained together for years.

Medea was almost to the second floor, where she’d be able to choose from a wide assortment of deadly appliances.

“Oh, no, you don’t,” I growled, and took off after her. Clara shot straight up into the air, the wings on her shoes flying faster than I’d seen them before.

When Medea spotted me, she started climbing in earnest. She was quick for a three-thousand-year-old lady. I sprinted after her at top speed, taking the steps three at a time, and still I couldn’t catch her. Even Clara, flying as fast as she could, couldn’t get to her. Medea didn’t stop at floor two. She hopped the next escalator and continued to ascend.

The potions, I thought. Of course that’s what she would go for. She was famous for potions.

Down below, I heard the battle raging. Leo was blowing his safety whistle, and Jason was yelling to keep the dragons’ attention. I didn’t dare look — not while I was running with a dagger in my hand. I could just see myself tripping and stabbing myself in the nose. That would be super heroic.

I grabbed a shield from an armoured manikin on floor three and continued to climb. I imagined Coach Hedge yelling in my mind, just like back in gym class at Wilderness School: _Move it, McLean! You call that escalator-climbing?_

I reached the top floor, breathing hard, but I was too late. Medea had reached the potions counter. Clara flew forward and slashed one of her knives across Medea’s back. Medea shrieked in agony and threw a vial of purple liquid down Clara’s front.

Clara stumbled backwards, hands pressing against her front and squeezing her eyes shut and yelping in pain.

The sorceress grabbed another vial and I did the only thing that came to mind. I threw the shield.

Medea turned triumphantly just in time to get hit in the chest by a fifty-pound metal Frisbee. She stumbled backward, crashing over the counter, breaking vials and knocking down shelves. When the sorceress stood from the wreckage, her dress was stained a dozen different colours. Many of the stains were smouldering and glowing.

I didn’t spend long looking at her. Rushing to Clara’s side, I was horrified when I saw the damage the purple liquid had done; there were vivid burns across her pale skin, a harsh red against Clara’s pallor.

“Fool!” Medea wailed. “Do you have any idea what so many potions will do when mixed?”

“Kill you?” I said hopefully.

The carpet began to steam around Medea’s feet. She coughed, and her face contorted in pain — or was she faking?

Below, Leo called, “Jason, help!”

I risked a quick look, and almost sobbed in despair. One of the dragons had Leo pinned to the floor. It was baring its fangs, ready to snap. Jason was all the way across the room battling the other dragon, much too far away to assist.

“You’ve doomed us all!” Medea screamed. Smoke was rolling across the carpet as the stain spread, throwing sparks and setting fires in the clothing racks. “You have only seconds before this concoction consumes everything and destroys the building. There’s no time—”

CRASH! The stained glass ceiling splintered in a rain of multi-coloured shards, and Festus the bronze dragon dropped into the department store.

He hurtled into the fray, snatching up a sun dragon in each claw. Only now did I appreciate just how big and strong our metal friend was. I heard Clara let out a pained laugh. She pushed herself to her feet, teeth gritted.

“That’s my boy!” Leo yelled.

Festus flew halfway up the atrium, then hurled the sun dragons into the pits they’d come from. Leo raced to the fountain and pressed the marble tile, closing the sundials. They shuddered as the dragons banged against them, trying to get out, but for the moment they were contained.

Medea cursed in some ancient language. The whole fourth floor was on fire now. The air filled with noxious gas. Even with the roof open, I could feel the heat intensifying. I backed up to the edge of the railing, keeping my dagger pointed toward Medea. Clara stood shoulder to shoulder with me, knives out with her winged shoes fluttering slightly.

“I will not be abandoned again!” The sorceress knelt and tried to find the red healing vial though I knew she wouldn’t. “You want your boyfriend’s memory restored? Take me with you!”

I glanced behind me. Leo and Jason were on board Festus’s back. The bronze dragon flapped his mighty wings, snatched the two cages with the satyr and the storm spirits in his claws, and began to ascend.

The building rumbled. Fire and the smoke curled up the walls, melting the railings, turning the air to acid.

“You’ll never survive your quest without me!” Medea growled. “Your boy hero will stay ignorant forever, and your father will die. Take me with you!”

For one heartbeat, I was tempted. Then I saw Medea’s grim smile. The sorceress was confident in her powers of persuasion, confident that she could always make a deal, always escape and win in the end.

“No.” I felt Clara hold my waist tightly and the two of us jumped over the side. We plummeted for only a second before Clara righted us and we shot towards the dragon. Leo and Jason caught us, hauling us aboard the dragon.

I heard Medea screaming in rage as we soared through the broken roof and over downtown Chicago. Then the department store exploded behind us.

“Oops.” Clara said again, and I couldn’t help laughing.


	20. twenty | do we get what we deserve?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He didn't say anything for a minute - I could have believed I was back on the Andromeda where kindness was rare, but Jason didn't fit in a place like that, even only in my imagination. No matter how bad things got, he wasn't the type to get angry like Luke and I. Not that bone deep, burning kind of anger that made you want to take the whole world down with you.

**xx**

**clara**

**December, 2015**

I was going to have to re-evaluate. Jason was clearly not Captain America. Piper, on the other hand – she _so_ was. Throwing the shield like that was a classic Steve Rogers-esque move (would it be Stephanie? Stella?). That notwithstanding, Piper had proved how brave she was. Leo and Jason too – seeing them fight the dragons together was terrifying.

Even though the boys had managed to trap the dragons, with a little help from Festus, I kept looking behind us, half expecting to see those nasty sun dragons toting a flying chariot with a screaming magical saleswoman throwing potions, but nothing followed us.

Leo steered the dragon toward the southwest. Eventually, the smoke from the burning department store faded in the distance, but I didn’t relax until the suburbs of Chicago gave way to snowy fields, and the sun began to set.

“Good job, Festus.” Leo patted the dragon’s metal hide. “You did awesome.” The dragon shuddered. Gears popped and clicked in his neck. “I’ll give you a tune-up next time we land,” Leo promised. “You’ve earned some motor oil and Tabasco sauce.”

Festus whirled his teeth, but even that sounded weak. He flew at a steady pace, his great wings angling to catch the wind, but he was carrying a heavy load. Two cages in his claws plus four people on his back — the more I thought about it, the more worried I got. Even metal dragons had limits.

“Leo.” Piper patted his shoulder. “You feeling okay?”

“Yeah… not bad for a brainwashed zombie.” He looked embarrassed, he shouldn’t – it wasn’t his fault – but I wasn’t surprised. It’s always a crappy feeling to get caught out by charmspeak or manipulation. “Thanks for saving us back there, beauty queen. If you hadn’t talked me out of that spell—”

“Don’t worry about it,” Piper said.

“He’s right,” I said to Piper, “You really did save us all.”

Piper nodded, she looked a bit uncomfortable, and I felt bad all over again. She set her jaw and looked me in the eyes, “You’re pretty badass.” She said, nodding towards my side and chest.

The open wound was throbbing dully, but it wasn’t unbearable, so I figured I’d leave it alone for a while – God knows I’d done enough damage to it in Medea’s shop. Unfortunately for me, the purple liquid on my chest wasn’t a massage oil. It must have been some kind of poison because it was still burning faintly. Every time I moved the skin pulled like really bad sunburn. With any luck some ambrosia would clear it up – I’d get some in a second, but at that moment I wasn’t keen on moving and aggravating the burns.

“What?” I laughed, her comment dawning on me. “Nah, I just-”

“You are.” Piper interrupted, smiling at me. “And it was a nice slash to Medea, by the way.” I smiled as best I could.

“Thanks, Beauty Queen.”

“We’re going to have to put down soon,” Leo warned us. “Couple more hours, maybe, to make sure Medea’s not following us. I don’t think Festus can fly much longer than that.”

“Yeah,” Piper agreed. “Coach Hedge probably wants to get out of his canary cage, too. Question is — where are we going?”

“The Bay Area,” I guessed. I could remember Medea saying something about it – I think it was to do with Jason, but my memories were a little fuzzy – mostly I’d thought about Luke. It wasn’t much of a change, but, still.

“Didn’t Medea say something about Oakland?” Leo recalled.

Piper didn’t respond for so long, I wondered if we’d said something wrong.

“Piper’s dad,” Jason put in from behind me, making me jump. I elbowed him lightly and he shoved me gently in return. Scratch Thor too, he was rocket. “Something’s happened to your dad, right? He got lured into some kind of trap.”

Piper let out a shaky breath. “Look, Medea said you would both die in the Bay Area. And besides … even if we went there, the Bay Area is huge! First we need to find Aeolus and drop off the storm spirits. Boreas said Aeolus was the only one who could tell us exactly where to go.”

“That makes sense.” I said, “We’re gonna be better off with a definite location." Piper turned to smile at me and I grinned back.

Leo grunted. “So how do we find Aeolus?”

Jason leaned forward. “You mean you don’t see it?” He pointed ahead of us, but I didn’t see anything except clouds and the lights of a few towns glowing in the dusk.

“What?” Leo asked.

“That … whatever it is,” Jason said. “In the air.”

“When did you last sleep?” I asked Jason, following his eye line and seeing nothing. “Cause you sound a bit hallucinate-y.”

“Right,” Leo agreed. “Could you be more specific on the ‘whatever-it-is’ part?”

“Like a vapour trail,” Jason said. “Except it’s glowing. Really faint, but it’s definitely there. We’ve been following it since Chicago, so I figured you saw it.”

I side eyed Jason, and he just shrugged. Forget Rocket, he was Groot.

Leo shook his head. “Maybe Festus can sense it. You think Aeolus made it?”

“Well, it’s a magic trail in the wind,” Jason said. “Aeolus is the wind god. I think he knows we’ve got prisoners for him. He’s telling us where to fly.”

“Or it’s another trap,” Piper said.

Her tone worried me. She didn’t just sound nervous. She sounded broken with despair, like we’d already sealed our fate, and like it was her fault.

“Pipes, you all right?” Leo asked.

“Don’t call me that.” She replied, clearly on reflex. I guessed it wasn’t about Leo though, something in her voice sounded too far away for that.

“Okay, fine. You don’t like any of the names I make up for you. But if your dad’s in trouble and we can help—”

“You can’t,” she said, her voice getting shakier. “Look, I’m tired. If you don’t mind …”

She leaned back against me and closed her eyes.

All right, I thought — pretty clear signal she didn’t want to talk.

“Piper,” I said too quietly for Jason or Leo to hear, “We’ll help you.” I promised her. “Your dad too.” She nodded against my shoulder and I could tell she was trying not to cry so I didn’t say anything else.

We flew in silence for a while. Festus seemed to know where he was going. He kept his course, gently curving toward the southwest and hopefully Aeolus’s fortress. Another wind god to visit, a whole new flavour of crazy — I couldn’t wait.

Leo’s head started to nod.

“Catch a few Z’s,” Jason said. “It’s cool. Hand me the reins.”

“Nah, I’m okay—”

“Leo,” Jason said, “you’re not a machine. Besides, I’m the only one who can see the vapour trail. I’ll make sure we stay on course.”

Leo’s eyes started to close on their own. “All right. Maybe just…”

He didn’t finish the sentence before slumping forward against the dragon’s warm neck.

Jason and I let the silence continue for a little while, but I could feel the heal-all vial burn in my pocket. I didn’t trust Medea in the least so I wasn’t about to hand it straight to Jason without seeing some kind of evidence that it wouldn’t burn him from the inside. I didn’t want to lie to him though, I knew he wouldn’t do it to me, but more than that, he deserved better. 

“So, I stole this from Medea.” I told him, slipping the vial out of my pocket and showing it to him. I couldn’t see his face, but I could imagine those cold blue eyes locking on it.

“As long as you’re sure it’s safe, you probably should.” He said.

_Wait, what?_ I twisted around, as painful as it was to look at him questioningly. “As long as you’re sure it’s safe you should heal the burns and, uh, stabs.”

_Oh my god, he wasn’t even kidding._

I shook my head, wanting to laugh I was so surprised. Jason was such a sweetheart. “You knob.” I said instead, “I’ll be good with a bit of ambrosia-”

“Then why didn’t you have any?” Jason asked.

“That’s not what I was getting at, I’ll be alright. I meant that once it gets checked out – because I don’t have a clue if it’ll turn you into a frog or some weird ass shit – you should take some to get your memory back.”

Jason, dork that he was (and he’d gone back up to Thor, I told myself that was reluctant, but it really wasn't), actually looked surprised.

I figured I could have said something genuine to him, but my brain wasn’t quite working that way. He made me nervous, not in the way that talking to Ethan when he was angry had, but it almost a good way.

He radiated benevolent kindness and he was obviously a gentleman in the most honest way possible – a gentle man, and that was half the issue. I wasn’t really sure how to react to that kind of sincerity anymore, not since my stay on the Princess Andromeda and then in Tartarus. He made me nervous, like I was going to say the wrong thing and he’d find out all the bad things I’d done.

The truth was, I didn’t want to disappoint them – any of them. Piper, Leo and Jason were warm and good, they were brave. They were better than me, and I wanted to do better to deserve their kindness. I knew, at some point, that they'd find out about everything – about every evil thing I'd done, but I was desperate to hold onto this while I could.

Jason was still looking at me and I cracked slightly. “You weirdo.” I told him matter-of-factly, forcing the nerves not to seep into my voice. “Of course it was for you.”

He didn't say anything for a minute - I could have believed I was back on the Andromeda where kindness was rare, but Jason didn't fit in a place like that, even only in my imagination. No matter how bad things got, he wasn't the type to get angry like Luke and I. Not that bone deep, burning kind of anger that made you want to take the whole world down with you.

I turned around but I could feel his eyes burning into my back. “Gracie,” I sighed keeping my eyes fixed on the horizon. “I swear–”

“Thank you, Clara. It’s sweet of you.”

“I’m not sweet.” It was mostly a joke, but the remains of war clung to me: my knives in hand, blood on my clothes, Livia's cooling body still lying across –

I shook myself out of memories and forced a smile. "All self-interest, I promise."

"How?" Jason laughed.

I shrugged. "You never know, I could accidentally reveal some repressed memories. That shit sounds traumatic, so rather you than me."

"I heard that's pretty rare," He argued, but it sounded like it was for the sake of it, not because he was still trying to get me to take it.

A genuine smile tugged at my lips. "I'm Catholic, so I'm not sure how good my chances are." _Especially after what Luke told me about Father Bundy._ Jason snorted. "Hey, I could have – I dunno – a memory of torture chambers under the church, or something. Then you'd feel guilty right?"

"Yeah, sure," Jason agreed, like he was trying not to laugh. "Very guilty."

I tried to stop myself giggling, but I couldn’t. Eventually Jason started laughing at me too.

I almost felt like there was more I should say, something, anything. I wanted to keep talking to Jason – keep up the light hearted conversation – but I couldn't. It was like a weight had gotten stuck in my throat. I didn't know what to say, and I had even less idea how I could say that hypothetical thing – which just about summed up my life.

It was hard to talk to him sometimes. He was compassionate and gentle, which I knew I didn't deserve, I'd done so many hurtful things in my life that accepting kindness from him felt like dishonesty. At some point, some point soon, I knew I'd have to tell him (Piper and Leo too) the awful truth about me, so I could stop lying by omission. Even if I didn't want to.

* * *

After a few hours I’d drifted deep into my own head. I could remember a game of Capture the Flag at Camp a few years back. It must have been dwelling on Jason’s potential for power that made me think of it.

_I was seriously ready to beat the Hunters at capture the flag. It was going to be a small game: only thirteen Hunters, including Bianca di Angelo, and about the same number of campers._

_Zoe Nightshade looked pretty upset. I was sort of ashamed that it made me happy, but it did nonetheless. She kept glancing resentfully at Chiron, like she couldn't believe he was making her do this. The other Hunters didn't look too happy, either. Unlike last night, they weren't laughing or joking around. They just huddled together in the dining pavilion, whispering nervously to each other as they strapped on their armor. Some of them even looked like they'd been crying. I guess Zoe had told them about her nightmare._

_I liked Artemis, I was grateful to her for helping me, but her hunters were_ the worst _._

_On our team, we had Beckendorf and two other Hephaestus guys, Percy, a few from the Ares cabin (though it still seemed strange that Clarisse wasn't around), the Travis and Conner, and Nico from Hermes cabin, and a few Aphrodite kids. It was weird that the Aphrodite cabin wanted to play. Usually they sat on the side-lines, chatted, and checked their reflections in the river and stuff, but when they heard we were fighting the Hunters, they were raring to go._

_Percy and I had been waiting patiently at Zeus' fist, but eventually, we went off track – Percy had seen a golden opportunity, and I was too stupid not to go with him._

_Percy and I were running at top speed. He leaped over the creek into enemy territory while I lifted off the ground and flew, gaining speed so fast that I couldn’t help laughing. I could see their silver flag up ahead, only one guard, who wasn't even looking in our direction. I heard fighting to my left and right, somewhere in the woods. We had it made._

_In a split second decision, I dropped to the floor and slid Klevo and Kleftis out of their sheathes and into my hands, ready to watch his back._

_The guard turned at the last minute. It was Bianca di Angelo. Her eyes widened as Percy slammed into her and she went sprawling in the snow._

_"Sorry!" He yelled. He ripped down the silver silk flag from the tree and took off._

_He was ten yards away before Bianca managed to yell for help. He thought he was home free._

_The truth was, that I probably could have knocked her out, but it didn’t seem right, even if that was the point of the game. I’d had years of training, she’d barely had a full days’ worth._

_ZIP. A silvery cord raced across his ankles and fastened to the tree next to him. A trip wire, fired from a bow! Before he could have even thought about stopping, he went down hard, sprawling in the snow._

_I sprinted towards him and threw Klevo towards the trip wire, cutting it cleanly._

_“Thanks,” Percy called as he tried to untangle himself._

_"Percy!" Thalia yelled, off to out left. "What are you doing?" I was glad she didn’t mention me – she sounded angry and she was terrifying when she was angry._

_Before she reached us, more specifically Percy, an arrow exploded at her feet and a cloud of yellow smoke billowed around her team. They started coughing and gagging. I could smell the gas from across the woods—the horrible smell of sulphur._

_"No fair!" Thalia gasped. "Fart arrows are unsportsmanlike!"_

_Percy got up and started running again. I got to his side quickly, knives out and ready to try to prevent the hunters from snatching a win – it was only a few more yards to the creek and he had the game. More arrows whizzed past my ears. A Hunter came out of nowhere and slashed at me with her knife, but I parried and Percy kept running._

_An arrow shot out from between a cluster of bushes and buried itself in my shoulder. It burned white hot. I screamed, partly surprised, party pained. The hunter who’d slashed at me tried to kick me in the back of the legs to put me on my ass, but I dodged and did the first thing that came to mind. I punched her as hard as I could. In the chest. I knew from experience it stung like hell and it distracted her for long enough for me to wrench the arrow out of my shoulder._

_I heard yelling from our side of the creek. Beckendorf and Nico were running toward us. I thought they were coming to welcome Percy back, but then I saw they were chasing someone — Zoe Nightshade, racing toward me like a cheetah, dodging campers with no trouble. And she had our flag in her hands._

_"No!" Percy yelled, and poured on the speed._

_Unfortunately, I’d let myself get distracted and the hunter punched me sharply in the diaphragm, leaving me completely winded. I dropped to my knees without fully realising my legs had given in._

_Percy was two feet from the water when Zoe bolted across to her own side, slamming into him for good measure. The Hunters cheered as both sides converged on the creek. Chiron appeared out of the woods, looking grim. He had the Travis and Conner on his back, and it looked as if both of them had taken some nasty whacks to the head. Connor had two arrows sticking out of his helmet like antennae._

_If I’d been able to get a fresh pull of air into my lungs, I probably would have laughed._

_"The Hunters win!" Chiron announced without pleasure. Then he muttered, "For the fifty-sixth time in a row."_

_He looked at me and I could read the exasperation on his face easier than I’d ever read words in my entire life. “Clara Castellan,” He started. I think the only reason he didn’t use my full name for the completed effect was because I wouldn’t tell anyone. “How many times do I have to tell you not to pull out arrows?”_

_I looked down at the arrow in my hands._

_Oh, yeah. Oops._

_“Sorry?” I offered, but it didn’t come out as loudly as I’d intended. Chiron’s face was familiar in its tired amusement and it made me grin as I pushed myself to my feet._

_"Perseus Jackson!" Thalia yelled, storming toward him. She smelled like rotten eggs, and she was so mad that blue sparks flickered on her armor. Everybody cringed and backed up because of Aegis. It took all my willpower not to cower._

_"What in the name of the gods were you THINKING?" she bellowed._

_Percy balled his fists. I could tell he’d had enough for one day and was about to lose it. That time I did cringe backwards. A Thalia–Percy power struggle wasn’t going to be pretty. "I got the flag, Thalia!" He shook it in her face. "I saw a chance and I took it!"_

_"I WAS AT THEIR BASE!" Thalia yelled. "But the flag was gone. If you hadn't butted in, we would've won."_

_"You had too many on you!"_

_"Oh, so it's my fault?"_

_"I didn't say that."_

_"Argh!" Thalia pushed him, and a shock went through his body that blew him backward ten feet into the water. Some of the campers gasped. A couple of the Hunters stifled laughs. Chiron trotted anxiously. I started at them, fascinated by and dreading what was about to happen._

_"Sorry!" Thalia said, turning pale. "I didn't mean to—"_

_A wave erupted from the creek, blasting into Thalia's face and dousing her from head to toe._

_Percy stood up. "Yeah," He growled. "I didn't mean to, either."_

_It was a jerky thing to say, and I was pissed he’d said it to Thalia, but I still sort of wanted to laugh._

_Thalia was breathing heavily._

_"Enough!" Chiron ordered._

_But Thalia held out her spear. "You want some, Seaweed Brain?"_

_As soon as she said that, I knew things were going to get worse. Percy didn’t mind – or had gotten used to – Annabeth and I calling him that, but Thalia doing it would rile him up. She’d known it would, Thalia always knew where to hit._

_"Bring it on, Pinecone Face!" Not your best comeback, Squidward._

_Percy raised Riptide, but before he could even defend himself, Thalia yelled, and a blast of lightning came down from the sky, hit her spear like a lightning rod, and slammed into Percy’s chest._

_He crashed down hard. There was a burning smell; I had a feeling it was his clothes._

_"Thalia!" Chiron said. "That is enough!"_

_Percy got to my feet and willed the entire creek to rise. It swirled up, hundreds of gallons of water in a massive icy funnel cloud._

_"Percy!" Chiron pleaded._

_“Percy!” I called, trying to talk some sense into him._

_He was about to hurl it at Thalia when he lost all concentration at once. The water splashed back into the creek bed. Thalia and I were so surprised (and relived on my part) that we turned to see what he was looking at._

_Someone… something was approaching. It was shrouded in a murky green mist, but as it got closer, the campers and Hunters gasped._

_"This is impossible," Chiron said. I'd never heard him sound so nervous. "It… she has never left the attic. Never."_

_And yet, the withered mummy that held the Oracle shuffled forward until she stood in the centre of the group. Mist curled around our feet, turning the snow a sickly shade of green._

_None of us dared move. Then her voice hissed inside my head. Apparently everyone could hear it, because several clutched their hands over the ears._

I am the spirit of Delphi, the voice said. Speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python.

_The Oracle regarded Percy with its cold, dead eyes. Then she turned unmistakably toward Zoe Nightshade._ Approach, Seeker, and ask.

_Zoe swallowed. "What must I do to help my goddess?"_

_The Oracle's mouth opened, and green mist poured out. I saw the vague image of a mountain, and a girl standing at the barren peak. It was Artemis, but she was wrapped in chains, fettered to the rocks. She was kneeling, her hands raised as if to fend off an attacker, and it looked like she was in pain. The Oracle spoke:_

Six shall go west to the goddess in chains,

One shall be lost in the land without rain,

The bane of Olympus shows the trail,

Campers and Hunters combined prevail,

The Titan's curse must one withstand,

And one shall perish by a parent's hand.

_Then, as we were watching, the mist swirled and retreated like a great green serpent into the mummy's mouth. The Oracle sat down on a rock and became as still as she'd been in the attic, as if she might sit by this creek for a hundred years._

As soon as I felt Festus drop sharply, I snapped back to reality.

Piper and I screamed as we started to tumble through the air. We spiralled through the night in a free fall, still on the dragon’s back, but Festus’s hide was cold. His ruby eyes were dim.

“Not again!” Leo yelled, suddenly awake. “You can’t fall again!”

He could barely hold on, but he managed to pull open the panel on the dragon’s neck. He toggled the switches. He tugged the wires. The dragon’s wings flapped once, but I caught a whiff of burning bronze. The drive system was overloaded. Festus didn’t have the strength to keep flying, and Leo couldn’t get to the main control panel on the dragon’s head — not in mid-air. I wasn’t a mechanic like him, but I knew that at least. I saw the lights of a city below them — just flashes in the dark as we plummeted in circles. We had only seconds before they crashed.

“Jason!” he screamed. “Take Piper and fly out of here!”

“What?”

“We need to lighten the load! I might be able to reboot Festus, but he’s carrying too much weight!”

“What about you?” Piper cried. “If you can’t reboot him—”

“I’ll be fine,” Leo yelled. “Just follow me to the ground. Go!”

“Now!” I yelled when Jason hesitated.

Jason grabbed Piper around the waist. They both unbuckled their harnesses, and in a flash they were gone — shooting into the air.

“Now,” Leo said. “Just you and me, Festus — and two heavy cages. You can do it, boy!”

I lifted off Festus’ back but stayed as close to Leo as I could. I figured if worst came to worse, I’d probably be able to pull him up.

Leo talked to the dragon while he worked, falling at terminal velocity. I could see the city lights below us, getting closer and closer. He summoned fire in his hand so he could see what he was doing, but the wind kept extinguishing it.

He pulled a wire that he thought connected the dragon’s nerve centre to its head, hoping for a little wake-up jolt.

Festus groaned — metal creaking inside his neck. His eyes flickered weakly to life, and he spread his wings. Their fall turned into a steep glide.

“Good!” Leo said. “Come on, big boy. Come on!”

They were still flying in way too hot, and the ground was too close. Leo needed a place to land — fast.

“Leo!” I called desperately, “You need to get off!”

“No.” He shouted back. There was a big river but he couldn’t land there – it’d be no good for a fire-breathing dragon. He’d never get Festus out from the bottom if he sank, especially in freezing temperatures. Then, on the riverbanks, there was a white mansion with a huge snowy lawn inside a tall brick perimeter fence — like some rich person’s private compound, all of it blazing with light. A perfect landing field. I shouted, pointing to it and he nodded, grinning hysterically. He did his best to steer the dragon toward it, and Festus seemed to come back to life. They could make this!

Then everything went wrong. As we approached the lawn, spotlights along the fence fixed on them, blinding Leo and I. I heard bursts like tracer fire, the sound of metal being cut to shreds — and BOOM.

I blacked out.

* * *

When I came to, Jason and Piper were leaning over me and Leo, who’d also blacked out. I was lying in the snow, covered in mud and grease. I spit a clump of frozen grass out of my mouth, making a face.

“Where—” Leo asked as I sat up.

“Lie still.” Piper had tears in her eyes. “You rolled pretty hard when—when Festus—”

“Where is he?” Leo sat up, I took the chance to look around while my head was swimming less and less. We’d landed inside the compound. Something had happened on the way in — gunfire?

“Seriously, guys,” Jason said, he pushed my shoulder down and it took me a moment to figure out that he wanted me to lie down. “You could be hurt. You shouldn’t—”

Leo pushed himself to his feet and I followed him quickly. Then I saw the wreckage. Festus must have dropped the big canary cages as he came over the fence, because they’d rolled in different directions and landed on their sides, perfectly undamaged.

Festus hadn’t been so lucky.

The dragon had disintegrated. His limbs were scattered across the lawn. His tail hung on the fence. The main section of his body had ploughed a trench twenty feet wide and fifty feet long across the mansion’s yard before breaking apart. What remained of his hide was a charred, smoking pile of scraps. Only his neck and head were somewhat intact, resting across a row of frozen rosebushes like a pillow.

“No,” Leo sobbed. He ran to the dragon’s head and stroked its snout. The dragon’s eyes flickered weakly. Oil leaked out of his ear.

“You can’t go,” Leo pleaded. “You’re the best thing I ever fixed.”

I felt like my heart stopped. Leo was obviously wrecked and Festus… Festus was _gone_.

The dragon’s head whirred its gears, as if it were purring. Jason, Piper and me stood next to him, but Leo kept his eyes fixed on the dragon.

“It’s not fair,” he said.

The dragon clicked. Long creak. Two short clicks. Creak. Creak. Almost like a code. Leo listened more intently. “Yeah,” Leo said. “I understand. I will. I promise.”

The dragon’s eyes went dark. Festus was gone.

Leo cried. He wasn’t even embarrassed. We stood on either side, patting his shoulders, saying comforting things; but I didn’t think Leo could hear.

Finally Jason said, “I’m so sorry, man. What did you promise Festus?”

Leo sniffled. He opened the dragon’s head panel, just to be sure, but the control disk was cracked and burned beyond repair.

“Something my dad told me,” Leo said. “Everything can be reused.”

“Your dad talked to you?” I asked in surprise.

Jason asked. “When was this?”

Leo didn’t answer. He worked at the dragon’s neck hinges until the head was detached. It must have weighed about a hundred pounds, but Leo managed to hold it in his arms. He looked up at the starry sky and said, “Take him back to the bunker, Dad. Please, until I can reuse him. I’ve never asked you for anything.”

The wind picked up, and the dragon’s head floated out of Leo’s arms like it weighed nothing. It flew into the sky and disappeared.

Piper looked at him in amazement. “He answered you?”

“I had a dream,” Leo managed. “Tell you later.”

Piper nodded, she looked like she wanted to give Leo a hug, but thought the better of it. He was obviously barely holding himself together.

Instead she turned to me. Her face was set in defiance and I stepped backwards on impulse. She dug into her bug and handed me some ambrosia. “Take some,” She told me softly. I did and felt a lot better, even if my chest still burned faintly.

I looked around. The large white mansion glowed in the centre of the grounds. Tall brick walls with lights and security cameras surrounded the perimeter, but now I could see — or rather sense — just how well those walls were defended.

“Where are we?” Leo asked. “I mean, what city?”

“Omaha, Nebraska,” I replied on instinct. “I think.” I added, just to be safe.

“Yeah, I saw a billboard as we flew in. But I don’t know what this mansion is. We came in right behind you, but as you were landing, Leo, I swear it looked like—I don’t know—” Piper agreed.

“Lasers,” Leo said. He picked up a piece of dragon wreckage and threw it toward the top of the fence. Immediately a turret popped up from the brick wall and a beam of pure heat incinerated the bronze plating to ashes.

Hermes’ kids are supposed to be able to sense traps, how didn’t I realise it was there? Guilt burned in my stomach.

Jason whistled. “Some defence system. How are we even alive?”

“Festus,” Leo said miserably. “He took the fire. The lasers sliced him to bits as he came in so they didn’t focus on you. I led him into a death trap.”

“You couldn’t have known,” I reassured him as bile rose in my throat. I should've been used to feeling guilt, but it still made me want to bury myself alive. The guilt for killing something – even indirectly – is like something drumming on your heart, or water seeping over your head and pulling you under, cutting off your air and the people around you. The physical burn in your lungs, in your chest and your head replying what you could have done better… I was used to it, I felt it every time I dreamed, but it never got easier to handle.

Piper said. “He saved our lives again.”

“But what now?” Jason said. “The main gates are locked, and I’m guessing I can’t fly us out of here without getting shot down.”

Leo looked up the walkway at the big white mansion. “Since we can’t go out, we’ll have to go in.”


	21. twenty one | an old friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He looked at me like he wanted to slowly tear the skin off my bones.

**xxi**

**clara**

**December, 2015**

We would’ve died five times on the way to the front door if not for Leo.

First it was the motion-activated trapdoor on the sidewalk, then the lasers on the steps, then the nerve gas dispenser on the porch railing, the pressure-sensitive poison spikes in the welcome mat, and of course the exploding doorbell.

I noticed each of them and pulled us all out of their way while Leo deactivated all them. It was like he could smell the traps, and he picked just the right tool out of his belt to disable them.

“You’re amazing, man,” Jason said.

Leo scowled as he examined the front door lock. “Yeah, amazing,” he said. “Can’t fix a dragon right, but I’m amazing.”

“Hey, that wasn’t your—”

I pressed my fingers to the normal looking lock on the front door, and to found it already mostly unlocked.

_Alright then_ , I thought, _clearly the owner was insane_.

“Front door’s already unlocked,” Leo announced.

Piper stared at the door in disbelief. “It is? All those traps, and the door’s unlocked?”

“I guess you wouldn’t need it as much with all the defences.” I suggested as Leo turned the knob. The door swung open easily. He stepped inside without hesitation. I followed quickly, figuring he wouldn’t be watching for a trap in the slightest.

Before Jason could follow, Piper caught his arm. I could see them out of the corner of my eye, and just about hear some of their conversation while still being able to see Leo. “He’s going to need... Don’t...”

“Yeah,” Jason replied. “Yeah, okay.”

He looked terrible. Back in Medea’s store, he’d said some pretty harsh stuff to Leo — stuff a friend shouldn’t say, not to mention the fact he’d almost skewered Leo with a sword. If it hadn’t been for Piper, they’d both be dead. Me too, but that didn’t matter. And Piper hadn’t gotten out of that encounter easily, either. I reckoned he must have felt pretty guilty. He seemed like the type to take everything pretty hard.

“Piper,” he said, “I know I was in a daze back in Chicago, but that stuff about your dad — if he’s in trouble, I want to help. I don’t care if it’s a trap or not.”

“Jason, you don’t know what you’re saying. Please — don’t make me feel worse. Come on. We should stick together.”

She ducked inside.

“Together,” Jason said to himself. “Yeah, we’re doing great with that.”

The house was dark, but huge. I could barely see anything, but I knew that much.

From the echo of Leo’s footsteps I could tell the entry hall was enormous, even bigger than Boreas’s penthouse; but the only illumination came from the yard lights outside. A faint glow peeked through the breaks in the thick velvet curtains. The windows rose about ten feet tall. Spaced between them along the walls were life-size metal statues. As my eyes adjusted, I saw sofas arranged in a U in the middle of the room, with a central coffee table and one large chair at the far end. A massive chandelier glinted overhead. Along the back wall stood a row of closed doors.

“Where’s the light switch?” Jason’s voice echoed alarmingly through the room.

“Don’t see one,” Leo said.

“Fire?” Piper suggested.

Leo held out his hand, but nothing happened. “It’s not working.”

“Your fire is out? Why?” Piper asked.

“Well, if I knew that—”

“You’ve used a lot in a short time,” I pointed out, searching the room for a light source, “You’ll probably need a rest.”

“Sure.” Leo said, but I could tell he didn’t care. Fair enough. It wasn't the best time.

“What do we do—explore?”

Leo shook his head. “After all those traps outside? Bad idea.”

My skin tingled. I hated being a demigod. Looking around, I didn’t see a comfortable room to hang out in. I imagined vicious storm spirits lurking in the curtains, dragons under the carpet, Cyclopes in the cupboards, a chandelier made of lethal ice shards, ready to impale us.

“Leo’s right,” Jason said. “We’re not separating again — not like in Detroit.”

“Oh, thank you for reminding me of the Cyclopes.” Piper’s voice quavered. “I needed that.”

“He’s got a point.” I said fairly. “We’ll have a better chance if we stick together.”

“It’s a few hours until dawn,” Jason guessed. “Too cold to wait outside. Let’s bring the cages in and make camp in this room. Wait for daylight; then we can decide what to do.”

Nobody offered a better idea, so we rolled in the cages with Coach Hedge and the storm spirits, then settled in. Thankfully, we didn’t find any poison throw pillows or electric whoopee cushions on the sofas.

Leo didn’t seem in the mood to make more tacos. Besides, we had no fire, so we settled for cold rations.

As we ate, I studied the metal statues along the walls. They looked like Greek gods or heroes. Maybe that was a good sign. Or maybe they were used for target practice. On the coffee table sat a tea service and a stack of glossy brochures, but I couldn’t make out the words. The big chair at the other end of the table looked like a throne. None of us tried to sit in it.

The canary cages didn’t make the place any less creepy. The venti (I knew I’d never be able to go back to calling them anemoi thuellai) kept churning in their prison, hissing and spinning, and I got the uncomfortable feeling they were watching Jason specifically. That didn’t surprise me too much though, we could all sense their hatred for the children of Zeus — the lord of the sky who’d ordered Aeolus to imprison their kind. The venti would like nothing better than to tear Jason apart.

As for Gleeson Hedge, he was still frozen mid-shout, his cudgel raised. Leo had been working on the cage, but I’d opened it quickly the way Luke taught me when we were kids; it was pretty easy for us to feel a lock and just instinctively know how to open it.

Despite how wired he looked, I could see Jason started to nod off. The couches were a little too comfortable — a lot better than a dragon’s back — and he’d taken the last two watches while the others slept. He looked exhausted.

Piper had already curled up on the other sofa. I wondered if she was really asleep or dodging a conversation about her dad. Whatever Medea had meant in Chicago, about Piper getting her dad back if she cooperated — it didn’t sound good. If Piper had risked her own dad to save us, that made me feel even guiltier.

And we were running out of time. If I had my days straight, this was early morning of December 20th. Which meant tomorrow was the winter solstice.

“Get some sleep,” Leo said to Jason. I edged away from them awkwardly. “It’s your turn.”

Jason took a deep breath. “Leo, I’m sorry about that stuff I said in Chicago. That wasn’t me. You’re not annoying and you do take stuff seriously — especially your work. I wish I could do half the things you can do.”

Leo lowered his screwdriver. He looked at the ceiling and shook his head like, _‘what am I gonna do with this guy?’_

“I try very hard to be annoying,” Leo said. “Don’t insult my ability to annoy. And how am I supposed to resent you if you go apologizing? I’m a lowly mechanic. You’re like the prince of the sky, son of the Lord of the Universe. I’m supposed to resent you.”

“Lord of the Universe?”

“Sure, you’re all — bam! Lightning man. And ‘Watch me fly. I am the eagle that soars—’”

“Shut up, Valdez.”

Leo managed a little smile. “Yeah, see. I do annoy you.”

“I apologize for apologizing.”

“Thank you.” He went back to work, but the tension had eased between them. Leo still looked sad and exhausted — just not quite so angry.

“Jason would be a bald eagle, right?” I confirmed, spinning to face Leo, mentally returning to my Thor/Captain America debate.

“Oh, sure.” Leo agreed as Jason raised an eyebrow. He went to say something else but cut himself off by yawning.

“Go to sleep, Jason,” he ordered. “It’s gonna take a few hours to get this goat man free. Then I still got to figure out how to make the winds a smaller holding cell, ’cause I am not lugging that canary cage to California.”

“You did fix Festus, you know,” Jason said. “You gave him a purpose again. I think this quest was the high point of his life.”

Leo sighed. “I hope,” he said. “Now, sleep, man. I want some time without you organic life forms.” Jason didn’t argue. He closed his eyes was asleep pretty much instantly.

Leo glanced at me. "You too, Castellan. You ain't slept at all yet have you?"

I shrugged. I was tired, but sleeping never made anything better. Also, I'd gone for longer on less. "I don't sleep much."

Leo didn't look convinced, but I could tell he didn’t want to talk, so I disappeared into my own head as far as possible – which wasn’t too hard for an ADHD demigod. As soon as I started on one school of thought, something else popped up and I got completely side-tracked.

* * *

The first thing Gleeson said when we woke him up was “DIE!” closely followed by “Ahhhggggggh!”

I could tell it was going to be _that_ sort of day.

Jason’s eyes snapped open and he leaped to his feet.

Sunlight poured into the room from the open windows – Leo and I had drawn the curtains in the early hours of the morning – and the room looked a hundred times larger. The chair at the other side of the room turned out to be a golden throne – it was a little off putting, but I figured if I kept my back to it everything would go mostly okay.

“Coach is awake,” Leo said, which was kind of unnecessary. Gleeson Hedge was capering around on his furry hindquarters, swinging his club and yelling, “Die!” as he smashed the tea set, whacked the sofas, and charged at the throne.

I was still sitting still, cross legged, in the middle of the room. It wasn’t meditation, more like I was trying to block out all the crazy while getting a bit of rest. Also – if I kept my eyes closed I wouldn’t be able to see the creepy throne.

“Coach!” Jason yelled. My eyes snapped open and focused on Jason; he really was tall, now I thought about it. He must have been over six foot at least.

Hedge turned, breathing hard. His eyes were so wild, I was mildly curious to see if he would attack. The satyr was still wearing his orange polo shirt and his coach’s whistle, but his horns were clearly visible above his curly hair, and his beefy hindquarters were definitely all goat. Could you call a goat beefy? Grover wasn’t beefy, but then Grover and I had been mates since I was six so I don’t think I would have noticed even if he was. I put the thought aside.

“You’re the new kid,” Gleeson said, lowering his club. “Jason.” He looked at Leo, then Piper, who’d apparently also just woken up. Her hair looked like it had become a nest for a friendly hamster.

“Valdez, McLean,” Gleeson said. Then his eyes focused on me.

“Castellan.” He greeted cautiously. _Jesus, right, yeah. Everyone still thinks I’m as trustworthy as Aunty M_.

“Sup?” I answered, not really bothered. Today was starting off as a pretty good day, all things considered.

“What’s going on? We were at the Grand Canyon. The anemoi thuellai were attacking and—” He zeroed in on the storm spirit cage, and his eyes went back to DEFCON 1. “Die!”

“Whoa, Coach!” Leo stepped in his path, which was pretty brave, even though Hedge was six inches shorter, depressingly, he was practically the same height as me. “It’s okay. They’re locked up. We just sprang you from the other cage.”

“Cage? Cage? What’s going on? Just because I’m a satyr doesn’t mean I can’t have you doing plank push-ups, Valdez!”

Jason cleared his throat. “Coach — Gleeson — um, whatever you want us to call you. You saved us at the Grand Canyon. You were totally brave.”

“Of course I was!”

“The extraction team came and took us to Camp Half-Blood. We thought we’d lost you. Then we got word the storm spirits had taken you back to their — um, operator, Medea.”

_Wonderful explaining, Gracie._ Still, I couldn't help smiling.

“That witch! Wait — that’s impossible. She’s mortal. She’s dead.”

“Yeah, well,” I said, “somehow she got not dead anymore.”

There was no way we’d killed her, not if she’d been brought back to life by… I didn’t want to even think her name, just in case I was right about it.

Gleeson nodded, his eyes narrowing. “So! You were sent on a dangerous quest to rescue me. Excellent!”

Bloody hell, it was blindingly obvious he’d been the one to bring Clarisse to camp – I’d never seen two people so eager to fight before. I could remember Clarisse when she went up against the Drakon; the Blessing of Ares had wrapped around her. In her grief for Silena, she’d been unstoppable. Slightly crazed, but unstoppable.

“Um.” Piper got to her feet, holding out her hands so Gleeson wouldn’t attack her. “Actually, Glee—can I still call you Coach Hedge? Gleeson seems wrong. We’re on a quest for something else. We kind of found you by accident.”

“Oh.” Gleeson’s spirits seemed to deflate, but only for a second. Then his eyes lit up again. “But there are no accidents! Not on quests.”

“Bullshit.” I said quietly.

“This was meant to happen! So, this is the witch’s lair, eh? Why is everything gold?”

“Gold?”

I looked around and caught my breath. How could we not have noticed?

The room was full of gold — the statues, the tea set Hedge had smashed, the chair that was definitely a throne. Even the curtains appeared to be woven of gold fibre.

“Nice,” Leo said. “No wonder they got so much security.”

“This isn’t—” Piper stammered. “This isn’t Medea’s place, Coach. It’s some rich person’s mansion in Omaha. We got away from Medea and crash-landed here.”

“It’s destiny, cupcakes!” Hedge insisted. “I’m meant to protect you. What’s the quest?”

Jason looked like he couldn’t decide if he wanted to explain or just shove Gleeson back into his cage, I was sympathetic towards the second option. But before he could, a door opened at the far end of the room.

A pudgy man in a white bathrobe stepped out with a golden toothbrush in his mouth. He had a white beard and one of those long, old-fashioned sleeping caps pressed down over his white hair. He froze when he saw us, and the toothbrush fell out of his mouth.

He glanced into the room behind him and called, “Son? Lit, come out here, please. There are strange people in the throne room.”

Gleeson did the obvious thing. He raised his club and shouted, “Die!”

It took all four of us to hold Gleeson. “Whoa, Coach!” Jason said. “Bring it down a few notches.” A younger man charged into the room. I guessed he must be Lit, the old guy’s son. He was dressed in pyjama pants with a sleeveless T-shirt that said cornhuskers, and he held a sword that looked like it could husk a lot of things besides corn. His ripped arms were covered in scars, and his face, framed by curly dark hair, would’ve been handsome if it wasn’t also sliced up.

Lit immediately zeroed in on Jason like he was the biggest threat, and stalked toward him, swinging his sword overhead. “Hold on!” Piper stepped forward, trying for her best calming voice. “This is just a misunderstanding! Everything’s fine.” Lit stopped in his tracks, but he still looked wary. It didn’t help that Gleeson was screaming, “I’ll get them! Don’t worry!”

“Coach,” Jason pleaded, “they may be friendly. Besides, we’re trespassing in their house.”

“Thank you!” said the old man in the bathrobe. “Now, who are you, and why are you here?”

From outside there was a roar. Earth shaking, but far off. I glanced at the window uncomfortably, and saw Jason do the same.

“Let’s all put our weapons down,” Piper said. “Coach, you first.” I got the overwhelming urge to put Klevo and Kleftis on the floor but resisted. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Leo shift as though to lay his hammer down before coming back to himself.

Gleeson clenched his jaw. “Just one thwack?”

“No,” Piper said.

“What about a compromise? I’ll kill them first, and if it turns out they were friendly, I’ll apologize.”

“No.” I growled – it had started as such a reasonable day too. Well… as reasonable as things ever got.

“Meh.” Gleeson lowered his club.

Piper gave Lit a friendly sorry-about-that smile. Even with her hair messed up and wearing two-day-old clothes, she looked extremely cute.

Lit huffed and sheathed his sword. “You speak well, girl — fortunately for your friends, or I would’ve run them through.”

“Appreciate it,” Leo said. “I try not to get run through before lunchtime.”

“Bad for your digestion.” I agreed faintly, mostly distracted by Lit. With everything being bright gold, it didn’t take a genius to figure out who the old man was (the statue of a young girl in the corner was a bit of a giveaway too), but Lit I hadn’t heard of.

I was realising I should’ve paid more attention to Chiron and Annabeth. Which, you know, sucked. I hated paying attention to Annabeth.

The old man in the bathrobe sighed, kicking the teapot that Gleeson had smashed. “Well, since you’re here. Please, sit down.”

Lit frowned. “Your Majesty—”

_And we’re screwed._

“No, no, it’s fine, Lit,” the old man said. “New land, new customs. They may sit in my presence. After all, they’ve seen me in my nightclothes. No sense observing formalities.” He did his best to smile, though it looked a little forced. “Welcome to my humble home. I am King Midas.”

“Midas? Impossible,” said Gleeson. “He died.”

“So did Medea.” I pointed out darkly.

* * *

We were sitting on the sofas now, while the king reclined on his throne. Tricky to do that in a bathrobe, and I kept worrying the old guy would forget and uncross his legs. Hopefully he was wearing golden boxers under there.

Lit stood behind the throne, both hands on his sword, glancing at Piper and flexing his muscular arms just to be annoying. _Poser_. I rolled my eyes and saw Jason restrain himself from doing the same.

Piper sat forward. “What our satyr friend means, Your Majesty, is that you’re the second mortal we’ve met who should be — sorry — dead. King Midas lived thousands of years ago.”

“Interesting.” The king gazed out the windows at the brilliant blue skies and the winter sunlight. In the distance, downtown Omaha looked like a cluster of children’s blocks — way too clean and small for a regular city. I felt an ache in my chest as I suddenly missed New Orleans, or even New York City. Grover and I would wander around the city together sometimes, just chatting, or we had done, in better times. .

“You know,” the king said, “I think I was a bit dead for a while. It’s strange. Seems like a dream, doesn’t it, Lit?”

“A very long dream, Your Majesty.”

“And yet, now we’re here. I’m enjoying myself very much. I like being alive better.”

Another roar – closer now. I rested my hand on Kleftis. I recognised it slightly, but I couldn’t place it, which unnerved me by itself.

“But how?” Piper asked. “You didn’t happen to have a… patron?”

Midas hesitated, but there was a sly twinkle in his eyes. “Does it matter, my dear?”

“We could kill them again,” Gleeson suggested.

“Coach, not helping,” Jason said. “Why don’t you go outside and stand guard?”

Leo coughed. “Is that safe? They’ve got some serious security.”

To be perfectly honest, it might have done Gleeson a bit of good to get trapped in another cage for a while, but I knew enough not to say that.

“Oh, yes,” the king said. “Sorry about that. But its lovely stuff, isn’t it? Amazing what gold can still buy. Such excellent toys you have in this country!”

He fished a remote control out of his bathrobe pocket and pressed a few buttons — a pass code, I guessed.

“There,” Midas said. “Safe to go out now.”

Gleeson grunted. “Fine. But if you need me…” He winked at Jason meaningfully. Then he pointed at himself, pointed two fingers at their hosts, and sliced a finger across his throat. Very subtle sign language.

“Yeah, thanks,” Jason said, sounding a little strained. I cringed and I felt Jason, since he was sat next to me, do the same. I really, _really_ tried not to pay attention to how close to me he'd ended up – small couch – because we really did have bigger issues to deal with, but I didn't succeed much.

After the satyr left, Piper tried another diplomatic smile. “So… you don’t know how you got here?”

“Oh, well, yes. Sort of,” the king said. He frowned at Lit. “Why did we pick Omaha, again? I know it wasn’t the weather.”

“The oracle,” Lit said.

“Yes! I was told there was an oracle in Omaha.” The king shrugged. “Apparently I was mistaken. But this is a rather nice house, isn’t it? Lit — it’s short for Lityerses, by the way — horrible name, but his mother insisted — Lit has plenty of wide-open space to practice his swordplay. He has quite a reputation for that. They called him the Reaper of Men back in the old days.”

“Oh.” Piper tried to sound enthusiastic. “How nice.”

“Yeah,” I agreed with Piper, trying to stop myself talking but completely unable to. Part of me was glad Annabeth wasn’t here, because she would’ve pushed me in front of a monster for what was about to come out of my mouth. “It’s lit.” I said seriously. Jason elbowed me in the ribs. It didn’t matter, I couldn’t not giggle.

Ethan was right – my sense of humour was _utter_ crap.

Lit’s smile was more of a cruel sneer, he looked at me like he wanted to slowly tear my skin off my bones. I didn’t blame him that much, but it was a bit rude.

“So,” Jason said. “All this gold—”

The king’s eyes lit up. “Are you here for gold, my boy? Please, take a brochure!”

Jason looked at the brochures on the coffee table. The title said GOLD: Invest for Eternity. “Um, you sell gold?”

“No, no,” the king said. “I make it. In uncertain times like these, gold is the wisest investment, don’t you think? Governments fall. The dead rise. Giants attack Olympus. But gold retains its value!”

Leo frowned. “I’ve seen that commercial.”

“Oh, don’t be fooled by cheap imitators!” the king said. “I assure you, I can beat any price for a serious investor. I can make a wide assortment of gold items at a moment’s notice.” The urge to steal some random gold stuff was pretty hard to resist, but I kept my hands firmly by my sides. No reason to make a bad situation worse – at least, not yet.

“But…” Piper shook her head in confusion. “Your Majesty, you gave up the golden touch, didn’t you?”

The king looked astonished. “Gave it up?”

“Yes,” Piper said. “You got it from some god—”

“From Dionysus.” I clarified.

The king agreed. “I’d rescued one of his satyrs, and in return, the god granted me one wish. I chose the golden touch.”

“But you accidentally turned your own daughter to gold,” Piper remembered. “And you realized how greedy you’d been. So you repented.”

“Repented!” King Midas looked at Lit incredulously. “You see, son? You’re away for a few thousand years, and the story gets twisted all around. My dear girl, did those stories ever say I’d lost my magic touch?”

“Well, I guess not. They just said you learned how to reverse it with running water, and you brought your daughter back to life.”

“That’s all true. Sometimes I still have to reverse my touch. There’s no running water in the house because I don’t want accidents”— he gestured to his statues —“but we chose to live next to a river just in case. Occasionally, I’ll forget and pat Lit on the back—”

Lit retreated a few steps. “I hate that.”

“I told you I was sorry, son. At any rate, gold is wonderful. Why would I give it up?”

“Well …” Piper looked truly lost now. “Isn’t that the point of the story? That you learned your lesson?”

Midas laughed. “My dear, may I see your backpack for a moment? Toss it here.”

Piper hesitated, but she wasn’t eager to offend the king. She dumped everything out of the pack and tossed it to Midas. As soon as he caught it, the pack turned to gold, like frost spreading across the fabric. It still looked flexible and soft, but definitely gold. The king tossed it back.

“As you see, I can still turn anything to gold,” Midas said. “That pack is magic now, as well. Go ahead — put your little storm spirit enemies in there.”

“Seriously?” Leo was suddenly interested. He took the bag from Piper and held it up to the cage. As soon as he unzipped the backpack, the winds stirred and howled in protest. The cage bars shuddered. The door of the prison flew open and the winds got vacuumed straight into the pack. Leo zipped it shut and grinned. “Gotta admit. That’s cool.”

Okay, so no one was usually that helpful. Hundred to one, chances were he’d demand some ridiculous repayment or just straight up kill us.

The roar came again, and the sound of running. I winced, looking towards the window again. Jason, Leo and Piper did the same. This wasn’t good. This was very, very not good.

“You see?” Midas said. “My golden touch a curse? Please. I didn’t learn any lesson, and life isn’t a story, girl. Honestly, my daughter Zoe was much more pleasant as a gold statue.”

“She talked a lot,” Lit offered.

“Exactly! And so I turned her back to gold.” Midas pointed. There in the corner was a golden statue of a girl with a shocked expression, as if she were thinking, _Dad!_

“That’s horrible!” Piper said.

“Nonsense. She doesn’t mind. Besides, if I’d learned my lesson, would I have gotten these?”

Midas pulled off his oversize sleeping cap, and I didn't know whether to laugh or be sick. Midas had long fuzzy grey ears sticking up from his white hair — like Bugs Bunny’s, but they weren’t rabbit ears. They were donkey ears.

“Oh, wow,” Leo said. “I didn’t need to see that.”

“Terrible, isn’t it?” Midas sighed. “A few years after the golden touch incident, I judged a music contest between Apollo and Pan, and I declared Pan the winner. Apollo, sore loser, said I must have the ears of an ass, and voilà. This was my reward for being truthful. I tried to keep them a secret. Only my barber knew, but he couldn’t help blabbing.” Midas pointed out another golden statue — a bald man in a toga, holding a pair of shears. “That’s him. He won’t be telling anyone’s secrets again.”

The king smiled. Suddenly he didn’t strike me as a harmless old man in a bathrobe. His eyes had a merry glow to them — the look of a madman who knew he was mad, accepted his madness, and enjoyed it. “Yes, gold has many uses. I think that must be why I was brought back, eh Lit? To bankroll our patron.”

Lit nodded. “That and my good sword arm.”

Jason glanced at us. Suddenly the air in the room seemed much colder.

“So you do have a patron,” Jason said. “You work for the giants.”

King Midas waved his hand dismissively. “Well, I don’t care for giants myself, of course. But even supernatural armies need to get paid. I do owe my patron a great debt. I tried to explain that to the last group that came through, but they were very unfriendly. Wouldn’t cooperate at all.”

“The last group?” I asked.

“Hunters,” Lit snarled. “Blasted girls from Artemis.”

My heart jumped. Thalia had been here.

A spark travelled down Jason’s back. I caught the faint scent of electrical fire like Jason’d just melted some of the springs in the sofa.

“When?” Jason demanded. “What happened?”

Lit shrugged. “Few days ago? I didn’t get to kill them,” I breathed out, “unfortunately. They were looking for some evil wolves, or something. Said they were following a trail, heading west. Missing demigod — I don’t recall.”

_Percy_ I thought. I knew the Hunters were looking for him. And Jason had told us about his dream of the burned-out house in the redwoods, where he’d heard enemy wolves baying. Hera had called them her keepers. It had to be connected somehow. Frankly, I didn't care either way if they found him or not but that didn't bode well for Hera.

Midas scratched his donkey ears. “Very unpleasant young ladies, those Hunters,” he recalled. “They absolutely refused to be turned into gold. Much of the security system outside I installed to keep that sort of thing from happening again, you know. I don’t have time for those who aren’t serious investors.”

Jason stood warily and glanced at us. We got the message.

The ground shook as the roars continued – whichever monster was outside the window, I couldn’t see it, but I could hear it banging on the walls, like it was ramming into it.

“Well,” Piper said, managing a smile. “It’s been a great visit. Welcome back to life. Thanks for the gold bag.”

“Oh, but you can’t leave!” Midas said. “I know you’re not serious investors, but that’s all right! I have to rebuild my collection.”

Lit was smiling cruelly. The king rose, and Leo and Piper moved away from him. I slid Klevo and Kleftis out of my pocket

“Don’t worry,” the king assured them. “You don’t have to be turned to gold. I give all my guests a choice — join my collection, or die at the hands of Lityerses. Really, it’s good either way.”

I wished he was more like Ethan or Luke for a terrible movement. I was able to talk them out of most things, but this? Random monsters or demigods that wanted to kill us? I was pretty lost.

Piper tried to use her charmspeak. “Your Majesty, you can’t—”

Quicker than any old man should’ve been able to move, Midas lashed out and grabbed her wrist.

“No!” Jason yelled.

But a frost of gold spread over Piper, and in a heartbeat she was a glittering statue. Leo tried to summon fire, but he’d forgotten his power wasn’t working. Midas touched his hand, and Leo transformed into solid metal.

I was so horrified I couldn’t move. Our friends — just gone. And Jason and I hadn’t been able to stop it.

The roar from outside came again – I felt like something was crawling under my skin. Jason and I shared a look.

Midas smiled apologetically. “Gold trumps fire, I’m afraid.” He waved around him at all the gold curtains and furniture. “In this room, my power dampens all others: fire… even charmspeak. Which leaves me only one more trophy to collect.”

“Hedge!” Jason yelled. “Need help in here!”

For once, the satyr didn’t charge in. I wondered if the lasers had gotten him, or if the monster had eaten him or if he was sitting at the bottom of a trap pit.

Midas chuckled. “No goat to the rescue? Sad. But don’t worry, my boy. It’s really not painful. Lit can tell you.”

Jason fixed on an idea. “I choose combat. You said I could choose to fight Lit instead.”

Midas looked mildly disappointed, but he shrugged. “I said you could die fighting Lit. But of course, if you wish.”

The king backed away, and Lit raised his sword.

“I’m going to enjoy this,” Lit said. “I am the Reaper of Men!”

“Come on.” Jason summoned his own weapon. This time it came up as a javelin, and Jason looked glad for the extra length.

“Oh, gold weapon!” Midas said. “Very nice.”

Lit charged.

The guy was fast. He slashed and sliced, and Jason could barely dodge the strikes. I looked hard at Lit’s style, which was all offense, no defence. King Midas seemed to be ignoring me, so I backed off, edging towards the far window to figure out what the monster was.

Jason countered, sidestepped, and blocked. Lit seemed surprised to find him still alive.

“What is that style?” Lit growled. “You don’t fight like a Greek.”

“Legion training,” Jason said, though I wasn’t sure how he knew that. “It’s Roman.”

“Roman?” Lit struck again, and Jason deflected his blade. “What is Roman?”

“News flash,” Jason said. “While you were dead, Rome defeated Greece. Created the greatest empire of all time.”

“Be right back.” I told Jason faintly as I finally caught sight of the monster. “Gonna deal with the roaring.”

“Right.” He replied, focused on the fight.

I turned and sprinted out of the door, around the side of the mansion to where I knew the monster was waiting. I wouldn’t have ever told anyone, but the truth was that I was terrified. I’d fought him once before, with Percy and Grover on Half Blood Hill – I had hoped that would be the only time in my life I’d have to see him.

I should’ve known I could never be that lucky.

I caught my breath and become face to face with The Minotaur.

There was a split second when neither of us moved. Stupidly, I couldn’t help picturing the torn of Minotaur horn in Percy’s cabin.

I really shouldn’t have done, because it gave him the advantage to charge.

He was fast and hulking. His hooves sent up sprays of snow as he barrelled in my direction, head down, horns pointed to impale my stomach.

Advice from Chiron, and Mrs Jackson, flashed across my mind. I stayed as still as I could, my body was thrumming with energy.

At the last second I dived out of the way, rolling hard on my shoulder. Kleftis and Klevo were in each of my hands –better than the single knife I’d had when Percy and I were caught by him before – I had more training now too. I’d fought in a war. I could deal with him.

The realisation brought a sense of calm and I pushed my shoulders back. He twisted, snarled at me and charged again. I ran forwards too, towards him, which looked like it took him off guard for a second. I slid between his legs (I’d told Mitchell that there were advantages to being as small as I would) and thrust Klevo into his tailbone.

It was a move I’d used before, but this time I knew what I was doing.

The Minotaur bellowed in agony and twisted again. “Maia!” I shouted and kicked off the ground. I kicked him hard the collar and plunged Kleftis into his face. I twisted Kleftis as best I could while trying to block his attempts to smack me off him with his gigantic hand.

I ducked backwards, pulling Kleftis with me and kicked myself away from the Minotaur using his wardrobe sized chest as a spring board.

I slashed against him as best I could, avoiding his horns and hands. It wasn’t easy, and I was tiring fast.

I wasn’t sure how much I had to lose, so I threw myself into a plan that would probably get me killed. I focused hard on a point behind the Minotaur as he charged at me again. I closed my eyes and willed myself to move.

When I snapped my eyes open I could have yelled in triumph. The dizziness hit me right after, but I tried to ignore it, shooting into the air as best I could.

He wasn’t expect the stab wound to the back of the head he got, which gave me the time to wrench Klevo out of his back. I grinned manically – I had both my weapons back, I was right where I wanted to be.

In opposite directions, I sliced Klevo and Kleftis across the back of his neck. The wound opened quickly and blood followed out in a quick spray, before falling more sluggishly down his back. My front was covered and I winced. Oops.

The Minotaur twisted and roared at me again, spitting in my face. I grimaced.

Twisting Kleftis in my right hand I drew her backwards and threw her into the centre of the Minotaur’s chest. To my relief he was starting to slow down, but I was all too aware that it might not be enough. I figured my best bet would be to attack his face again. As I tried to fly upwards, he caught my leg.

I had a moment to indulge in bone deep panic, before getting slammed into the ground at high speed.

Spluttering and fighting for breath, I rolled over as quickly as I could to avoid getting squished by his gigantic fist slamming into the spot I’d been lying in. He aimed for me again. I managed to avoid him but not by much.

“Maia!” I shouted, rising sharply into the air. The Minotaur looked taken off guard for a second and I went to take my chance. 

At that moment, a lightning bolt ripped through the roof of the mansion like it was an eggshell. It started raining too, ice cold rain that hit my skin like needles. I gasped unintentionally and the Minotaur rammed his head into my stomach and sent me spinning backwards.

I was seriously getting tired of this.

As I turned in mid-air, with the intention to slash at the Minotaur’s chest, he slammed his fist into my back and sent me spinning away again. Part of me wanted to scream in frustration. I swear, Luke and Thalia never looked this stupid while fighting.

I almost smiled, thinking about them, but the image of a tree trunk rushing towards my face kept me focused. I flipped over so my feet were on a rash course with the tree instead of my face. Luckily, I wasn’t too out of control, so I could push myself hard off a tree back towards the Minotaur. Klevo and Kleftis were raised and this time they hit on target.

I slashed Kleftis across the monster’s throat and Klevo as far into his stomach as I could. I was sprayed liberally with his blood, drenching my already ruined shirt again.

With a final roar, the Minotaur collapsed into a pile of gold dust and floated off in the wind.

Grimacing, I wiped Klevo and Kleftis off on my jeans and sank slowly back to the floor, waiting until my feet were back on the ground until I let my shoes rest.

“Pretty badass, Castellan.” Jason called. I turned in surprise. He was stood in the rain about ten feet behind me. His hair was messed up – standing on end like he’d been recently electrocuted. _The lightning, dummy._ I thought to myself. Gleeson was a little behind Jason, yelling about Midas getting murdered.

That wasn’t what was weird.

Jason was holding Piper. The golden stature of Piper that is. Gleeson was lugging Statute-Leo under his arm. I looked at them in confusion for a minute, before shrugging.

_Alright then_ , I thought, trying my best to grin.


	22. twenty two | confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You’re obviously one of the eight in the Great Prophecy.”
> 
> One of the eight. I’d talked about this before with Jason, Clara and Leo, and I supposed it must be true, but I still had trouble believing it. I didn’t feel that important. I was just a stupid child of Aphrodite. How could I be worth deceiving and killing?

**xxii**

**piper**

**December, 2015**

I drifted in and out of sleep for a while. I caught snatches of conversation, but I couldn’t open my eyes. There was a dull repetitive noise in the background – I tried to identify it, but it only made my head throb.

“You’re sure you’re alright?” I think it was Jason – I’d never heard anyone as level and steady as him.

“I’m good. Just got a bit battered.” That was defiantly Clara, there was no mistaking the New Orleans accent.

Someone moved, there was rustling. I felt something get pressed to my forehead through the numb cold that was pressing against my skin.

“First time I’ve seen you fight when you looked like you wanted to get out alive.” Jason managed to sound non-judgemental, which surprised me; not that he was being nice, just that he was handling her so well. Clara was a bit of a loose cannon, and I got the impression she didn’t respond well to feeling talks.

For a few seconds no one spoke.

“It’s–” Clara started as Jason went to apologise. “Nah, it’s okay.”

“It’s good,” Jason said. I still couldn’t get my eyes to open, but I could picture Jason smiling gently. “Just be careful, that’s all.”

“Why are you being so nice to me?” Clara asked him, sounding desperate. She sounded lonely too. The things she’d told me before we met Medea rang in my mind.

There was a faint rustle, Jason must have moved. “Clara, that medicine could heal your lungs – yeah, I can tell they’re fucked – it could heal your side and your burns, but you offered to give it to me–”

“I am giving it to you.”

“And you’re good.”

“Thank you, Jason, I mean it, but… You don’t… I did things in the war that – well… I can’t.” She said. She sounded near tears and I yearned to reach over and give her a hug. “I did things that I just can’t face.”

“I don’t blame you,” Jason said gently. “But please don’t lock everything up until it burns you out. Find someone to talk to. Someone who deserves that trust.”

I heard Clara murmur a thank you, and slipped out of consciousness. 

* * *

I woke up cold and shivering.

I’d had the worst dream about an old guy with donkey ears chasing me around and shouting, _You’re it!_

“Oh, god.” My teeth chattered. “He turned me to gold!”

“You’re okay now.” Jason leaned over and tucked a warm blanket around me, but I still felt as cold as a Boread.

I blinked, trying to figure out where we were. Next to me, a campfire blazed, turning the air sharp with smoke. Firelight flickered against rock walls. We were in a shallow cave, but it didn’t offer much protection. Outside, the wind howled. Snow blew sideways. It might’ve been day or night. The storm made it too dark to tell.

“L-L-Leo? C-Cla-Lara?” I managed.

“Present and un-gold-ified.” Leo was also wrapped in blankets. He didn’t look great, but better than I felt. “I got the precious metal treatment too,” he said. “But I came out of it faster. Dunno why. We had to dunk you in the river to get you back completely. Tried to dry you off, but… it’s really, really cold.”

“You’ve got hypothermia,” Clara said. “We risked as much nectar as we could.” She smiled reassuringly, like an older sister would, and it would’ve been really effective, but I was a little distracted with the thick blood caking her shirt and jeans. She had one of her wicked looking knives in her hands and a block of stone she was sharpening it on. The sound should have been grating, but it was oddly comforting in the dark cave.

“Coach Hedge did a little nature magic—” Jason added, gentle smile firmly in place. I was glad, it made his face look softer, less like a statue.

“Sports medicine.” The coach’s harsh face loomed over me. “Kind of a hobby of mine. Your breath might smell like wild mushrooms and Gatorade for a few days, but it’ll pass. You probably won’t die. Probably.”

“Thanks,” I said weakly. “How did you beat Midas?”

Jason told her the story, putting most of it down to luck.

The coach snorted. “Kid’s being modest. You should’ve seen him. Hi-yah! Slice! Boom with the lightning!”

“Coach, you didn’t even see it,” Jason said. “You were outside eating the lawn.”

But the satyr was just warming up. “Then I came in with my club, and we dominated that room. Afterward, I told him, ‘Kid, I’m proud of you! If you could just work on your upper body strength—’”

“Coach,” said Jason.

“Yeah?”

“Shut up, please.”

“Sure.” The coach sat down at the fire and started chewing his cudgel.

“What was the roaring outside?” I asked, remembering the awful sound. Jason and Clara shared a look.

There was a beat of silence – Clara just looked at Jason flatly like ‘no way, mate’. “A Minotaur.” He answered, wincing a little. “Clara took care of it.”

I nodded. “Explains the blood.” Clara grinned at me, but she looked a little awkward.

“It’s nothing.” Clara shook her head. She blushed a bit. “Jason could’ve finished him off in half the time.”

Jason’s smile died on his lips. “Doubt it.” He said. “You did great.” Clara shrugged and fiddled with her shoe laces, but I could see the faint blush spreading across her cheeks.

“Thanks.” Her voice was quitter than normal and, unless I was completely misreading it, thoroughly charmed.

I figured Jason must have accepted that that was the closest Clara would get to accepting praise because he sent her another grin, then put his hand on my forehead and checked my temperature. “Leo, can you stoke the fire?”

“On it.” Leo summoned a baseball-sized clump of flames and lobbed it into the campfire.

“Do I look that bad?” I shivered.

“Nah,” Jason said.

“Kinda.” Clara grinned. I was exhausted, but I stuck my tongue out at her anyway. She just laughed.

“You’re a terrible liar,” I told Jason, who shrugged, smiling crookedly. “Where are we?”

“Pikes Peak,” Jason said. “Colorado.”

“But that’s, what — five hundred miles from Omaha?”

“Something like that,” Jason agreed. “I harnessed the storm spirits to bring us this far. They didn’t like it — went a little faster than I wanted, almost crashed us into the mountainside before I could get them back in the bag. I’m not going to be trying that again.”

“Why are we here?”

Leo sniffed. “That’s what I asked him.”

Jason gazed into the storm as if watching for something. “That glittery wind trail we saw yesterday? It was still in the sky, though it had faded a lot. I followed it until I couldn’t see it anymore. Then — honestly I’m not sure. I just felt like this was the right place to stop.”

“’Course it is.” Coach Hedge spit out some cudgel splinters. “Aeolus’s floating palace should be anchored above us, right at the peak. This is one of his favourite spots to dock.”

“Maybe that was it.” Jason knit his eyebrows. “I don’t know. Something else, too…”

“The Hunters were heading west,” I remembered. “Do you think they’re around here?”

Jason rubbed his forearm as if the tattoos were bothering him. “I don’t see how anyone could survive on the mountain right now. The storm’s pretty bad. It’s already the evening before the solstice, but we didn’t have much choice except to wait out the storm here. We had to give you some time to rest before we tried moving.”

He didn’t need to convince me. The wind howling outside the cave scared me, as much as I didn’t want to admit it, and I couldn’t stop shivering.

“The hunters are tough,” Clara said, “and they can only die in combat. They’ll be alright.”

“We have to get you warm.” Jason sat next to me and held out his arms a little awkwardly. “Uh, you mind if I…”

“Sure.” I replied. The mist feelings must have mostly worn off, because more than wanting to cuddle, I wanted to tease him for looking so awkward.

At least one thing was true, mist or not, Jason could not flirt.

He put his arms around me and held me. The warmth radiated off him. We scooted closer to the fire. Coach Hedge chewed on his club and spit splinters into the fire.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Jason keeping a concerned eye on Clara – which wasn't unusual, like he was worried if he looked away from her for too long, she’d slip over and fall down a cliff, which didn’t seem that unreasonable all things considered. Jason kept his eyes on her most of the time, especially when she wasn't paying attention (which was less often than I'd thought when I first met her, for all she was crass and ADHD, she was clearly a well-trained soldier too). He just seemed to gravitate towards her. It was sweet, although I don't think he realised he was doing it.

She was obviously cold, shivering, even though she was trying to hide it. “Clara,” I said. My throat was scratchy and a bit hoarse I winced. “Come ‘ere. You look cold.”

She raised her eyebrows at me. “Right, out of everyone in this room, I’m the one that’s cold.”

“Yeah.” I agreed. She laughed.

“I think you’re just a slut for cuddling.” Clara accused, utterly without venom. There was a beat of silence when Leo and I looked at her, somewhat incredulously before Jason’s self-control snapped and he started laughing.

“You’re bizarre.” I told Clara, even as she curled against my side. Her frizzy hair was in my face, but I didn’t mind. There were flashes, occasionally, of what she must have been like before the war, flashes of the intelligence she’d gained from it – I liked her. Before and after. I hoped that we’d be friends after the quest was over – I hoped she wanted that too.

Leo broke out some cooking supplies and started frying burger patties on an iron skillet. “So, guys, long as you’re cuddled up for story time… something I’ve been meaning to tell you. On the way to Omaha, I had this dream. Kinda hard to understand with the static and the Wheel of Fortune breaking in—”

“Wheel of Fortune?” I assumed Leo was kidding, but when he looked up from his burgers, his expression was deadly serious.

“The thing is,” he said, “my dad Hephaestus talked to me.”

Clara looked surprised, I felt her head tilt up suddenly, but she didn’t say anything.

Leo told us about his dream. In the firelight, with the wind howling, the story was even creepier. I could imagine the static-filled voice of the god warning about giants who were the sons of Tartarus, and about Leo losing some friends along the way.

I tried to concentrate on something good: warmth slowly spreading into my body, but I was terrified. “I don’t understand. If demigods and gods have to work together to kill the giants, why would the gods stay silent? If they need us—”

“Ha,” said Coach Hedge.

“The gods hate needing humans. They like to be needed by humans, but not the other way around. Things will have to get a whole lot worse before Zeus admits he made a mistake closing Olympus.” Clara said, I couldn’t see her face, but I guessed she was scowling.

“I’m not surprised you cupcakes haven’t heard of the Giant War. The gods don’t like to talk about it. Bad PR to admit you needed mortals to help beat an enemy. That’s just embarrassing.”

“Coach,” I said, shamelessly in denial, “that was almost an intelligent comment.”

Hedge huffed. “What? I’m intelligent!”

“There’s more, though,” Jason said. “When I dreamed about Hera in her cage, she said Zeus was acting unusually paranoid. And Hera — she said she went to those ruins because a voice had been speaking in her head. What if someone’s influencing the gods, like Medea influenced us?”

I shuddered. She’d had a similar thought — that some force they couldn’t see was manipulating things behind the scenes, helping the giants. Maybe the same force was keeping Enceladus informed about our movements, and had even knocked our dragon out of the sky over Detroit. Perhaps Leo’s sleeping Dirt Woman, or another servant of hers…

Leo set hamburger buns on the skillet to toast. “Yeah, Hephaestus said something similar, like Zeus was acting weirder than usual. But what bothered me was the stuff my dad didn’t say. Like a couple of times he was talking about the demigods, and how he had so many kids and all. I don’t know. He acted like getting the greatest demigods together was going to be almost impossible — like Hera was trying, but it was a really stupid thing to do, and there was some secret Hephaestus wasn’t supposed to tell me.”

Jason shifted. I could feel the tension in his arms.

“Chiron was the same way back at camp,” he said. “He mentioned a sacred oath not to discuss — something. Coach, you know anything about that?”

“Nah. I’m just a satyr. They don’t tell us the juicy stuff. Especially an old—” He stopped himself.

“An old guy like you?” I asked. “But you’re not that old, are you?”

“Hundred and six,” the coach muttered.

Leo coughed. “Say what?”

“Don’t catch your panties on fire, Valdez. That’s just fifty-three in human years. Still, yeah, I made some enemies on the Council of Cloven Elders. I’ve been a protector a long time. But they started saying I was getting unpredictable. Too violent. Can you imagine?”

“Wow.” I tried not to look at my friends. “That’s hard to believe.”

Coach scowled. “Yeah, then finally we get a good war going with the Titans, and do they put me on the front lines? No! They send me as far away as possible — the Canadian frontier, can you believe it? Then after the war, they put me out to pasture. The Wilderness School. Bah! Like I’m too old to be helpful just because I like playing offense. All those flower-pickers on the Council — talking about nature.”

“You wouldn’t have like the front lines.” Clara said. Her voice was cold and quiet, but everything in the cave seemed to go silent. Everyone listened to her. 

Coach Hedge stared at Clara like she was a crate of TNT next to a forest fire. “Rumours said you did.”

“Rumours mean jack.” Clara answered. “A lot of satyrs died there.” That seemed unnecessarily cruel and I didn’t know why she’d gotten so… malicious. She’d been fine before Hedge – like how different she was around Camp Half Blood.

“Lot of demigods too.”

Clara flinched but forced herself to recover, she glanced at Hedge, looking almost scornful. "You would've died." She shrugged and gestured to the left side of her torso. "I'm a better fighter than you and I practically did."

For a second, I thought the coach would kick off and demand a match to prove it, but he just looked at the point she'd motioned to. The tension in the air was so thick I felt like I was suffocating.

"Apollo healed you." He stated, but it was almost a question. "When Zeus pardoned you."

Clara smiled cruelly. "I don't remember. It was a bit of a blur after we all started dying."

There was a long, heavy pause. I didn't know exactly what she was talking about, but I could gather that it was related to Clara's brother and the other people who'd lost their lives in the last war. It must have been a hard hit because Coach Hedge couldn't reply. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

“I thought satyrs liked nature,” I ventured when Clara didn’t say anything either.

“Shoot, I love nature,” Hedge said. “Nature means big things killing and eating little things! And when you’re a — you know — vertically challenged satyr like me, you get in good shape, you carry a big stick, and you don’t take nothing from no one! That’s nature.” Hedge snorted indignantly. “Flower-pickers. Anyway, I hope you got something vegetarian cooking, Valdez. I don’t do flesh.”

“Yeah, Coach. Don’t eat your cudgel. I got some tofu patties here. Piper’s a vegetarian too. I’ll throw them on in a second.”

“I’ll throw you a can.” Clara offered, and I thought she was being sarcastic until Hedge nodded.

“Good source of aluminium.”

She nodded. “That’s what Grover always said.”

The smell of frying burgers filled the air. I usually hated the smell of cooking meat, but my stomach rumbled like it wanted to mutiny.

_I’m losing it_ , I thought. _Think broccoli. Carrots. Lentils_.

My stomach wasn’t the only thing rebelling. Lying by the fire, curled against my friends, my conscience felt like a hot bullet slowing working its way toward my heart. All the guilt I’d been holding in for the last week, since the giant Enceladus had first sent me a dream, was about to kill me

My friends wanted to help me. Jason even said he’d walk into a trap to save my dad. And I had shut them out.

For all I knew, I’d already doomed Dad when I attacked Medea.

I choked back a sob. Maybe I’d done the right thing in Chicago by saving my friends, but I’d only delayed my problem. I could never betray my friends, but the tiniest part of me was desperate enough to think, _What if I did?_

I tried to imagine what Dad would say. _Hey, Dad, if you were ever chained up by a cannibal giant and I had to betray a couple of friends to save you, what should I do?_

Funny, that had never come up when we did Any Three Questions. My dad would never take the question seriously, of course. He’d probably tell me one of Grandpa Tom’s old stories — something with glowing hedgehogs and talking birds — and then laugh about it as if the advice was silly.

I wished I remembered my grandpa better. Sometimes I dreamed about that little two-room house in Oklahoma. I wondered what it would’ve been like to grow up there. My dad would think that was nuts. He’d had spent his whole life running away from that place, distancing himself from the rez, playing any role except Native American. He’d always told me how lucky I was to grow up rich and well cared-for, in a nice house in California.

I’d learned to be vaguely uncomfortable about my ancestry — like Dad’s old pictures from the eighties, when he had feathered hair and crazy clothes. Can you believe I ever looked like that? He’d say. Being Cherokee was the same way for him — something funny and mildly embarrassing.

But what else were we? Dad didn’t seem to know. Maybe that’s why he was always so unhappy, changing roles. Maybe that’s why I started stealing things, looking for something I couldn’t ever find?

Leo put tofu patties on the skillet. The wind kept raging. I thought of an old story Dad had told me… one that maybe did answer some of my questions.

One day in second grade I’d come home in tears and demanded why Dad had named me Piper. The kids were making fun of me because Piper Cherokee was a kind of airplane.

Dad laughed, as if that had never occurred to him. “No, Pipes. Fine airplane. That’s not how I named you. Grandpa Tom picked out your name. First time he heard you cry, he said you had a powerful voice — better than any reed flute piper. He said you’d learn to sing the hardest Cherokee songs, even the snake song.”

“The snake song?”

Dad told me the legend — how one day a Cherokee woman had seen a snake playing too near her children and killed it with a rock, not realizing it was the king of rattlesnakes. The snakes prepared for war on the humans, but the woman’s husband tried to make peace. He promised he’d do anything to repay the rattlesnakes. The snakes held him to his word. They told him to send his wife to the well so the snakes could bite her and take her life in exchange. The man was heartbroken, but he did what they asked. Afterward, the snakes were impressed that the man had given up so much and kept his promise. They taught him the snake song for all the Cherokee to use. From that point on, if any Cherokee met a snake and sang that song, the snake would recognize the Cherokee as a friend, and would not bite."

“That’s awful!” I had said. “He let his wife die?”

Dad spread his hands. “It was a hard sacrifice. But one life brought generations of peace between snakes and Cherokee. Grandpa Tom believed that Cherokee music could solve almost any problem. He thought you’d know lots of songs, and be the greatest musician of the family. That’s why we named you Piper.”

A hard sacrifice. Had my grandfather foreseen something about me, even when I was a baby? Had he sensed I was a child of Aphrodite? Dad would probably tell me that was crazy. Grandpa Tom was no oracle.

But still… I’d made a promise to help on this quest. I needed to help my friends, I couldn’t let them get hurt. They’d saved me when Midas had turned me to gold. They’d brought me back to life. I couldn’t repay them with lies.

Gradually, I started to feel warmer. I stopped shivering and settled against Jason’s shoulder. Leo handed out the food. I didn’t want to move, talk, or do anything to disrupt the moment. But I had to.

“We need to talk.” I sat up so I could face Jason, Leo and Clara. “I don’t want to hide anything from you guys anymore.”

They looked at me with their mouths full of burger. Too late to change my mind now.

“Three nights before the Grand Canyon trip,” I said, “I had a dream vision — a giant, telling me my father had been taken hostage. He told me I had to cooperate, or my dad would be killed.”

The flames crackled.

Finally Jason said, “Enceladus? You mentioned that name before.”

“He’s big,” Clara nodded, “Breathes fire.”

Coach Hedge whistled. “Not somebody I’d want barbecuing my daddy goat.”

Jason gave him a shut up look. “Piper, go on. What happened next?”

“I — I tried to reach my dad, but all I got was his personal assistant, and she told me not to worry.”

“Jane?” Clara remembered.

Leo asked. “Didn’t Medea say something about controlling her?”

I nodded. “To get my dad back, I had to sabotage this quest. I didn’t realize it would be the four of us. Then after we started the quest, Enceladus sent me another warning: He told me he wanted you three dead. He wants me to lead you to a mountain. I don’t know exactly which one, but it’s in the Bay Area — I could see the Golden Gate Bridge from the summit. I have to be there by noon on the solstice, tomorrow. An exchange.”

I couldn’t meet my friends’ eyes. I waited for them to yell at me, or turn their backs, or kick me out into the snowstorm.

Instead, Clara scooted next to me and wrapped her arms around me. “God, Piper. I’m so sorry.”

Leo nodded. “No kidding. You’ve been carrying this around for a week? Piper, we could help you.”

I felt like I’d had the ground pulled out from under me. I glared at them. “Why don’t you yell at me or something? I was ordered to kill you!”

“Aw, come on,” Jason said. “You’ve saved us both on this quest. I’d put my life in your hands any day.”

“Same,” Leo said. “Can I have a hug too?”

“You don’t get it!” I said. “I’ve probably just killed my dad, telling you this.”

“I doubt it.” Coach Hedge belched. He was eating his tofu burger folded inside the paper plate, chewing it all like a taco. “Giant hasn’t gotten what he wants yet, so he still needs your dad for leverage. He’ll wait until the deadline passes, see if you show up. He wants you to divert the quest to this mountain, right?”

I nodded uncertainly.

“So that means Hera is being kept somewhere else,” Hedge reasoned. “And she has to be saved by the same day. So you have to choose — rescue your dad, or rescue Hera. If you go after Hera, then Enceladus takes care of your dad. Besides, Enceladus would never let you go even if you cooperated. You’re obviously one of the eight in the Great Prophecy.”

One of the eight. I’d talked about this before with Jason, Clara and Leo, and I supposed it must be true, but I still had trouble believing it. I didn’t feel that important. I was just a stupid child of Aphrodite. How could I be worth deceiving and killing?

“So we have no choice,” I said miserably. “We have to save Hera, or the giant king gets unleashed. That’s our quest. The world depends on it. And Enceladus seems to have ways of watching me. He isn’t stupid. He’ll know if we change course and go the wrong way. He’ll kill my dad.”

“He’s not going to kill your dad,” Jason said, quietly confident. “We’ll save him.”

“We don’t have time!” I said, wishing they’d understand. “Besides, it’s a trap.”

“We’re your friends, beauty queen,” Leo said. “We’re not going to let your dad die. We just gotta figure out a plan.”

Coach Hedge grumbled. “Would help if we knew where this mountain was. Maybe Aeolus can tell you that. The Bay Area has a bad reputation for demigods. Old home of the Titans, Mount Othrys, sits over Mount Tam, where Atlas holds up the sky. I hope that’s not the mountain you saw.”

I tried to remember the vista in my dreams. “I don’t think so. This was inland.”

“That’s good at least,” Clara smiled at me. “Atlas is a prick.” I giggled – if it sounded a little hysterical, no one said anything.

Jason frowned at the fire, like he was trying to remember something.

“Bad reputation… that doesn’t seem right. The Bay Area…”

“You think you’ve been there?” I asked.

“I …” He looked like he was almost on the edge of a breakthrough. Then the anguish came back into his eyes. “I don’t know. Hedge, what happened to Mount Othrys?”

Hedge took another bite of paper and burger. “Well, Kronos built a new palace there last summer. Big nasty place, was going to be the headquarters for his new kingdom and all. Weren’t any battles there, though. Kronos marched on Manhattan, tried to take Olympus. If I remember right, he left some other Titans in charge of his palace, but after Kronos got defeated in Manhattan, the whole palace just crumbled on its own.”

“No,” Jason said.

All of us except Clara looked at him.

“What do you mean, ‘No’?” Leo asked.

“That’s not what happened.”

“He’s right.” Clara said, then turned to Jason. “I’m sorry, I should’ve said something earlier, but… I was scared, honestly.”

Jason nodded to her, his face was gentle, but sad. “It’s alright, Clara. I know there’s something… wrong… I just–”

Hedge belched again. “So what did happen on Mount Othrys, Castellan? And why didn’t you ever mention it?”

Sparing a second to glare at Hedge, Clara spoke slowly – I could tell she was being careful. “Kronos’ throne didn’t fall, it was crumbled by another demigod force. The titans there were dissipated – Krios, Themis and Tethys.”

“By who?” Hedge pushed.

“Camp Jupiter.” Clara said, breathing out and sinking backwards. “Roman demigods.”

Jason winced like his brain was burning. “You’re right.” He forced out through gritted teeth. “I don’t remember specifics. But you’re right.”

“Why didn’t you tell anyone?” Hedge asked again, looking at Clara with no trust and some scepticism. “What else haven’t you said?”

“I never heard anything about it afterwards, and I’d only heard Kronos and Ethan talk about it once. Ethan told me I’d misheard so I let it go.” It sounded a bit like gas lighting, and I tried not to get mad at Hedge when he started questioning Clara further.

“What else?”

“I’m not holding anything back.” Clara defended, sounding hopeless. “What would be the point? Who would I be protecting anymore?”

Jason tensed, looking toward the cave entrance. “Did you hear that?”

For a second, nothing. Then I heard it: howls piercing the night.


	23. twenty three | fist fighting a wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The man snarled — perhaps a laugh, perhaps a challenge. “Oh, we’ve been patrolling for you all across the west, demigod, hoping we’d be the first to find you. The giant king will reward me well when he rises. I am Lycaon, king of the wolves. And my pack is hungry.”

**xxiii**

**clara**

**December, 2015**

We listened in silence. As terrible as it sounded, I was glad to have the attention off me, even if we were about to die. I hated talking about the war and all the horrible things I'd done so much I might have chosen death-by-wolf.

“Wolves,” Piper said. “They sound close.”

Jason rose and summoned his sword. Leo and Coach Hedge and I got to our feet too. Piper tried, but she stumbled slightly. I caught to her and she gripped me tightly, looking frustrated with herself.

“Stay there,” Jason told her. “We’ll protect you.”

She gritted her teeth. It was clear she hated feeling helpless.

I slid Klevo and Kleftis into my hands, trying to forget about the ghost stories Thalia told me about wolves when I was a kid.

Then, just outside the firelight at the entrance of the cave, I saw a pair of red eyes glowing in dark.

I jumped and gasped something that would’ve made Luke wince.

"Nice swearing." Leo murmured. Jason glanced at me, his blue eyes looked brighter than ever in the dark cave. A blush crawled up my neck.

More wolves edged into the firelight — black beasts bigger than Great Danes, with ice and snow caked on their fur. Their fangs gleamed, and their glowing red eyes looked disturbingly intelligent. The wolf in front was almost as tall as a horse, his mouth stained as if he’d just made a fresh kill.

Piper pulled her dagger out of its sheath. I flipped Kleftis in my hand.

Then Jason stepped forward and said something in Latin. I caught a few words – one of the upsides of being Catholic was that I knew passable Latin, which had come in helpful a fair few times on quests.

The alpha wolf curled his lip. The fur stood up along his spine. One of his lieutenants tried to advance, but the alpha wolf snapped at his ear. Then all of the wolves backed into the dark.

“Dude, I gotta study Latin.” Leo’s hammer shook in his hand. “What’d you say, Jason?”

Hedge cursed. “Whatever it was, it wasn’t enough. Look.”

The wolves were coming back, but the alpha wolf wasn’t with them. They didn’t attack. They waited — at least a dozen now, in a rough semicircle just outside the firelight, blocking the cave exit.

Gleeson hefted his club. “Here’s the plan. I’ll kill them all, and you guys escape.”

“Coach, they’ll rip you apart,” Piper said.

“Nah, I’m good.”

“Nah, you’re not.” I countered.

Then I saw the silhouette of a man coming through the storm, wading through the wolf pack.

“Stick together,” Jason said. “They respect a pack. And Hedge, no crazy stuff. We’re not leaving you or anyone else behind.” Jason was a really good guy, I really hoped the wolves didn’t eat him.

The wolves parted, and the man stepped into the firelight. His hair was greasy and ragged, the colour of fireplace soot, topped with a crown of what looked like finger bones. His robes were tattered fur — wolf, rabbit, raccoon, deer, and several others I couldn’t identify (I thought they might have had some satyr, but I hoped I was wrong). The furs didn’t look cured, and from the smell, they weren’t very fresh. His frame was lithe and muscular, like a distance runner’s. But the most horrible thing was his face. His thin pale skin was pulled tight over his skull. His teeth were sharpened like fangs. His eyes glowed bright red like his wolves’ — and they fixed on Jason with absolute hatred.

“Ecce,” he said, “filli Romani.” _Look, Roman sons_ I think he said, but I would be the first to admit my Latin was _passable_ , not good.

“Speak English, wolf man!” Gleeson bellowed. I debated offering him to them as a peace treaty, but I didn’t think I could’ve talked the others round.

The wolf man snarled. “Tell your faun to mind his tongue, son of Rome. Or he’ll be my first snack.”

I remembered that faun was the Roman name for satyr. Not exactly helpful information. Now, if I could remember who this wolf guy was in Greek mythology, and how to defeat him, that I could use. Naturally, nothing came to mind, but there was no reason I couldn’t hope.

The wolf man studied our little group. His nostrils twitched. “So it’s true,” he mused. “A child of Aphrodite. A son of Hephaestus. Hermes’ traitor daughter. A faun. And a child of Rome, of Lord Jupiter, no less. All together, without killing each other. How interesting.”

“You were told about us?” Jason asked. “By whom?”

_Aw, life or death situation and he still gets his grammar right._

The man snarled — perhaps a laugh, perhaps a challenge. “Oh, we’ve been patrolling for you all across the west, demigod, hoping we’d be the first to find you. The giant king will reward me well when he rises. I am Lycaon, king of the wolves. And my pack is hungry.”

The wolves snarled in the darkness.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Leo put up his hammer and slip something else from his tool belt — a glass bottle full of clear liquid.

I knew I’d heard his name, but I couldn’t remember where. The only connection I got was werewolves and that was pretty obvious. Something about Zeus, maybe? Although that didn't narrow it down too much. 

Lycaon glared at Jason’s sword. He moved to each side as if looking for an opening, but Jason’s blade moved with him.

“Leave,” Jason ordered. “There’s no food for you here.”

“Unless you want tofu burgers,” Leo offered. _Funny, it was almost like Percy was there_. Except, in all fairness, better.

Lycaon bared his fangs. Apparently he wasn’t a tofu fan. Couldn’t fault him on that.

_Focus, Dumbass._

“If I had my way,” Lycaon said with regret, “I’d kill you first, son of Jupiter. Your father made me what I am. I was the powerful mortal king of Arcadia, with fifty fine sons, and Zeus slew them all with his lightning bolts.”

“Ha,” Gleeson said. “For good reason!”

Jason glanced over his shoulder. “Coach, you know this asshole?”

“I do,” Piper answered. She looked sick. “Lycaon invited Zeus to dinner,” she said. “But the king wasn’t sure it was really Zeus. So to test his powers, Lycaon tried to feed him human flesh. Zeus got outraged—”

“And killed my sons!” Lycaon howled. The wolves behind him howled too.

“So Zeus turned him into a wolf,” Piper said. “They call… they call werewolves lycanthropes, named after him, the first werewolf.”

“The king of wolves,” Gleeson finished. “An immortal, smelly, vicious mutt.”

“Hedge, shut up.” I snapped, thinking as fast as I could. I pocketed Klevo and reached into my bag and slid the silver knife I’d stolen from Medea’s shop up my sleeve; the wolves couldn’t see it, and I think they’d been busy snarling at Gleeson so they hadn’t seen me draw it at all. Lucky me, I guess.

Lycaon growled. “I will tear you apart, faun!”

“Oh, you want some goat, buddy? ’Cause I’ll give you goat.”

“Stop it,” Jason said. “Lycaon, you said you wanted to kill me first, but...?”

“Sadly, Child of Rome, you are spoken for. Since this one” — he waggled his claws at Piper, I stepped forward protectively on instinct — “has failed to kill you, you are to be delivered alive to the Wolf House. One of my compatriots has asked for the honour of killing you herself.”

“Who?” Jason said.

The wolf king snickered. “Oh, a great admirer of yours. Apparently, you made quite an impression on her. She will take care of you soon enough, and really I cannot complain. Spilling your blood at the Wolf House should mark my new territory quite well. Lupa will think twice about challenging my pack.”

My heart tried to jump out of my chest. I didn’t understand everything Lycaon had said, but a woman who wanted to kill Jason? _Medea_ , I thought. _Somehow, she must’ve survived the explosion_.

Piper struggled to her feet.

“You’re going to leave now,” Piper said, “before we destroy you.”

She tried to put power into the words, but she was too weak. Shivering in her blankets, pale and sweaty and barely able to hold a knife, she didn’t look very threatening, even though I knew she was powerful.

Lycaon’s red eyes crinkled with humour. “A brave try, girl. I admire that. Perhaps I’ll make your end quick. Only the son of Jupiter is needed alive. The rest of you, I’m afraid, are dinner.”

At that moment, I knew we were all going to die. It wasn’t a bad way to go, all things considered.

Jason took a step forward. “You’re not killing anyone, wolf man. Not without going through me.”

Lycaon howled and extended his claws. Jason slashed at him, but his golden sword passed straight through as if the wolf king wasn’t there.

Lycaon laughed. “Gold, bronze, steel — none of these are any good against my wolves, son of Jupiter.”

“Silver!” Piper cried. “Aren’t werewolves hurt by silver?”

“We don’t have any silver!” Jason said.

“Well, you say that.” I smirked, slipping the knife into my hand.

Wolves leaped into the firelight. Hedge charged forward with an elated “Woot!”

But Leo struck first. He threw his glass bottle and it shattered on the ground, splattering liquid all over the wolves—the unmistakable smell of gasoline. He shot a burst of fire at the puddle, and a wall of flames erupted.

Wolves yelped and retreated. Several caught fire and had to run back into the snow. Even Lycaon looked uneasily at the barrier of flames now separating his wolves from us.

“Aw, c’mon,” Gleeson complained. “I can’t hit them if they’re way over there.”

Every time a wolf came closer, Leo shot a new wave of fire from his hands, but each effort seemed to make him a little more tired, and the gasoline was already dying down. “I can’t summon any more gas!” Leo warned. Then his face turned red. “Wow – that came out wrong. I mean the burning kind. Gonna take the tool belt a while to recharge. What you got, man?”

“Nothing,” Jason said. “Only one weapon that works.”

“Lightning?” Piper asked.

Jason concentrated, but nothing happened. “I think the snowstorm is interfering, or something.”

“Unleash the venti!” Piper said.

“Then we’ll have nothing to give Aeolus,” I pointed out. “We’ll have come all this way for nothing.”

Lycaon laughed. “I can smell your fear. A few more minutes of life, heroes. Pray to whatever gods you wish. Zeus did not grant me mercy, and you will have none from me.”

“What’s a pack of wolves?” I bullshitted. “We’ll be fine.”

“Easy as.” Jason agreed, equally as insincere.

The flames began to sputter out. Jason cursed and dropped his sword. He crouched like he was ready to go hand-to-hand (which was, not gonna lie, really kinda hot). Leo pulled his hammer out of his pack. Flipping the silver knife in my hand and centred my shoulders, pretty much ready to die by wolf. Piper raised her dagger. Hedge hefted his club, and he was the only one who looked excited about dying.

Then a ripping sound cut through the wind — like a piece of tearing cardboard. A long stick sprouted from the neck of the nearest wolf — the shaft of a silver arrow. The wolf writhed and fell, melting into a puddle of shadow.

More arrows. More wolves fell. The pack broke in confusion. An arrow flashed toward Lycaon, but the wolf king caught it in mid-air. Then he yelled in pain. When he dropped the arrow, it left a charred, smoking gash across his palm. Another arrow caught him in the shoulder, and the wolf king staggered.

“Curse them!” Lycaon yelled. He growled at his pack, and most the wolves turned and ran. Lycaon fixed Jason with those glowing red eyes. “This isn’t over, boy.”

The wolf king disappeared into the night. Some of them stayed around, avoiding arrows as best they could and snarling at us.

Eventually just one of them was left. He jumped towards us – maybe in fear, maybe in hoped of catching it off guard. It didn’t work. Jason’s fist slammed into his muzzle hard enough to send him off course. Jason rolled with him and pinned him, I jerked forward, heart racing and slammed my knife into the wolf’s chest.

“Not the heart!” Jason grunted as the wolf clawed at him. I laughed manically, terrified out of my mind, I pulled my knife out and cut his throat as deeply as I could.

To avoid the spray of blood, Jason and I jumped backwards. The wolf leaped towards us again, covering us in blood. Piper threw her knife into its shoulder but it didn’t stop.

Some of its razor like claws slashed across Jason’s chest. He hit the ground hard and Leo pulled him out of the way. I had a moment to think ‘at least he’s out of the fight’ before the wolf flew at me and pinned me to the floor. He was slowing down, but not enough for me.

Maybe for the others though? I could live with that.

I shoved my knife into its stomach (probably not the heart either) and just kinda prepared for my inevitable death. Then there was an impact against me. The wolf was slammed forwards as if someone was pushing it. It’s weight dropped against me.

Dead.

I’d have liked to claim killing it, but I knew it hadn’t been me.

A smaller white wolf burst into the cave, followed by two more. “Clara!” Piper screamed.

“I’m good!” I called, I couldn’t get the weight of the wolf off me, which was a shame, because it reeked.

Hedge said, “Kill it?”

“No!” Piper said. “Wait.”

The wolves tilted their heads and studied the campers with huge golden eyes. Shifting my head, I could see Jason pull himself to his feet, with a hand up from Leo. Luckily the wound was mostly skin deep, but I knew how much danger he’d been in.

A heartbeat later, their masters appeared: a troop of hunters in white-and-grey winter camouflage, at least half a dozen. All of them carried bows, with quivers of glowing silver arrows on their backs.

_The hunters!_

Their faces were covered with parka hoods, but clearly they were all girls. One, a little taller than the rest, crouched in the firelight and snatched up the arrow that had wounded Lycaon’s hand.

I shoved the wolf as hard off me as I could – Hedge kicked it off – and I sat up cheerfully. Adrenaline was still pumping around my body, but more than that, I knew who led the hunters.

“So close.” She turned to her companions. “Phoebe, stay with me. Watch the entrance. The rest of you, follow Lycaon. We can’t lose him now. I’ll catch up with you.”

The other hunters mumbled agreement and disappeared, heading after Lycaon’s pack.

“Thalia!” I called.

She looked at me in confusion for a second before her face cleared. “Clara.” She said clearly. “What the hell?”

I grinned, kicking the wolf’s body away from me and pulling myself to my feet. I walked closer to her and she pulled me into a hug even though I must have been covered in blood and none of us had had a decent wash for a while. “Christ, Clara.” She pulled back and looked me up and down. “You look like death.”

Thalia’s blunt honesty warmed me – it felt like home. “Yeah. You know. Quests.” I shrugged.

Thalia addressed the others. “We’ve been following that demon’s trail for over a week. Is everyone all right? No one got bit?”

Jason stood frozen, staring at her. It was strange, there was something similar about Jason and Thalia. It was hard to pin down exactly what the resemblance was, but the way she spoke, the way she formed her words, reminded me of Jason.

“You’re her,” Piper guessed. “You’re Thalia.”

Thalia tensed. I was worried she might draw her bow, but instead she pulled down her parka hood, revealing her spiky black hair, with a silver tiara across her brow. Her face had a super-healthy glow to it, I mean, she was partly immortal, and her eyes were brilliant blue.

“Do I know you?” Thalia asked. She looked at me and I gestured to Jason.

“Hear him out. He’s telling the truth.” Thalia looked at me the way she would when I was really young and did something dumb – the older sister/mom friend look.

“That’s not an answ–”

“Thalia.” Jason stepped forward, his voice trembling. “I’m Jason, your brother.”


	24. twenty four | hot chocolate and a reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beryl Grace and May Castellan had loved selfishly, had loved Gods like mortal men – they paid a heavy price for it.

**xxiv**

**clara**

**December, 2015**

For a minute, Jason and Thalia faced each other, stunned. Then Thalia rushed forward and hugged him.

“My gods! She told me you were dead!” She gripped Jason’s face and seemed to be examining everything about it. “Thank Artemis, it is you. That little scar on your lip — you tried to eat a stapler when you were two!”

“What?” I laughed, already envisioning how Conner, Travis and I could get camp to serve plates of staplers. 

Leo laughed. “Seriously?”

Hedge nodded like he approved of Jason’s taste. “Staplers — excellent source of iron.” I got flashbacks to Grover’s aluminium cans and grinned to myself.

“W-wait,” Jason stammered. “Who told you I was dead? What happened?”

At the cave entrance, one of the white wolves barked. Thalia looked back at the wolf and nodded, but she kept her hands on Jason’s face, like she was afraid he might vanish. “My wolf is telling me I don’t have much time, and she’s right. But we have to talk. Let’s sit.”

Piper did better than that. She collapsed. She would’ve cracked her head on the cave floor if Hedge and I hadn’t caught her.

Thalia rushed over. “What’s wrong with her? Ah — never mind. I see. Hypothermia. Ankle.” She frowned at the satyr. “Don’t you know nature healing?”

Hedge scoffed. “Why do you think she looks this good? Can’t you smell the Gatorade?”

Thalia looked at Leo for the first time, and of course it was an accusatory glare, like ‘Why did you let the goat be a doctor?’ As if that was Leo’s fault.

“You and the satyr,” Thalia ordered, “take this girl to my friend at the entrance. Phoebe’s an excellent healer.” Her cold fingers closed around my wrist and I got her unspoken message. _Stay_.

As confident as she looked, Thalia was overwhelmed and, I’d bet, a little terrified.

“It’s cold out there!” Hedge said. “I’ll freeze my horns off.”

“Come on, Hedge. These two need time to talk.”

“Humph. Fine,” the satyr muttered. “Didn’t even get to brain anybody.”

Hedge carried Piper toward the entrance. Leo was about to follow when Jason called, “Actually, man, could you, um, stick around?”

When I looked at Jason, there was something in Jason’s eyes I didn’t expect: Jason was asking for support. He wanted somebody else there. He was scared.

Leo grinned. “Sticking around is my specialty.”

Thalia didn’t look too happy about it, but the four of us sat at the fire. For a few minutes, nobody spoke. Jason studied Thalia like she was a scary device — one that might explode if handled incorrectly. In return, she regarded Jason in a kind of amazed trance, maybe remembering a little two-year-old who tried to eat a stapler. Leo took a few pieces of copper wire out of his pockets and twisted them together. I chewed my lip awkwardly, trying to be silently helpful and failing miserably.

Finally Leo couldn’t stand the silence. “So… the Hunters of Artemis.” He started and I knew everything was going to shit from then on, “This whole ‘not dating’ thing — is that like always, or more of a seasonal thing, or what?”

Thalia stared at him as if he’d just evolved from pond scum. Part of me wanted to remind her of how much she’d disliked the hunters when we first met them, but I figured it would just make the situation worse. The second time we’d met them hadn’t gone that much better, if I was honest.

_Thalia, Grover and I stayed as far away from Thorn as we could while still being close enough to strike him – it wasn’t easy._

_"The stirring of monsters." Dr Thorn monologued. "The worst of them, the most powerful, are now waking. Monsters that have not been seen in thousands of years. They will cause death and destruction the likes of which mortals have never known. And soon we shall have the most important monster of all — the one that shall bring about the downfall of Olympus!"_

_Bianca di Angelo whispered something to Percy. Whatever he said back to her made her look at him like he’d offered to swallow cyanide._

_"Oh, super idea. You're completely nuts, too." She hissed._

_Percy never got the chance to argue with her, because just then Annabeth slammed into him._

_Annabeth's move was brilliant. Wearing her cap of invisibility, she ploughed into the di Angelo’s and Percy, knocking them to the ground. For a split second, Dr Thorn was taken by surprise, so his first volley of missiles zipped harmlessly over their heads. This gave Thalia, Grover and me a chance to advance from behind — Thalia wielding her magic shield, Aegis._

_If you've never seen Thalia run into battle, you have never been truly frightened. She uses a huge spear that expands from this collapsible Mace canister she carries in her pocket, but that's not the scary part. Her shield is modelled after one her dad Zeus uses — also called Aegis — a gift from Athena. The shield has the head of the gorgon Medusa moulded into the bronze, and even though it won't turn you to stone, it's so horrible, most people will panic and run at the sight of it._

_Even Dr Thorn winced and growled when he saw it._

_Thalia moved in with her spear. "For Zeus!"_

_I thought Dr Thorn was a goner. Thalia jabbed at his head, but he snarled and swatted the spear aside. His hand changed into an orange paw, with enormous claws that sparked against Thalia's shield as he slashed. If it hadn't been for Aegis, Thalia would've been sliced like a loaf of bread. As it was, she managed to roll backward and land on her feet._

_The sound of the helicopter was getting louder behind me, but I didn't dare look._

_Dr Thorn launched another volley of missiles at Thalia and me, and this time I could see how he did it. He had a tail — a leathery, scorpion-like tail that bristled with spikes at the tip. Thalia pulled me behind Aegis and the missiles deflected off Aegis, but the force of their impact knocked us down._

_Grover sprang forward. He put his reed pipes to his lips and began to play — a frantic jig that sounded like something pirates would dance to. Grass broke through the snow. Within seconds, rope-thick weeds were wrapping around Dr Thorn's legs, entangling him._

_Dr Thorn roared and began to change. He grew larger until he was in his true form — his face still human, but his body that of a huge lion. His leathery, spiky tail whipped deadly thorns in all directions._

_"A manticore!" Annabeth said, now visible. Her magical New York Yankees cap had come off when she'd ploughed into Percy._

_"Who are you people?" Bianca di Angelo demanded. "And what is that?"_

_"A manticore?" Nico gasped. "He's got three thousand attack power and plus five to saving throws!"_

_I didn't know what he was talking about, but I didn't have time to worry about it. The manticore clawed Grover's magic weeds to shreds then turned toward us with a snarl._

_"Get down!" Annabeth pushed the di Angelos flat into the snow. At the last second, Percy remembered his own shield. He hit his wristwatch, and metal plating spiralled out into a thick bronze shield. Not a moment too soon. The thorns impacted against it with such force they dented the metal. The beautiful shield, a gift from Tyson, was badly damaged. I wasn't sure it would even stop a second volley._

_I heard a thwack and a yelp, and Grover landed next to me with a thud._

_"Yield!" the monster roared._

_“Nope!” I called, ducking another projectile. Klevo and Kleftis were out of their sheathes, in my hands, glinting in the moonlight._

_"Never!" Thalia yelled from across the field. She charged the monster, and for a second, I thought she would run him through. But then there was a thunderous noise and a blaze of light from behind us. The helicopter appeared out of the mist, hovering just beyond the cliffs. It was a sleek black military-style gunship, with attachments on the sides that looked like laser-guided rockets. The helicopter had to be manned by mortals, but what was it doing here? How could mortals be working with a monster? The searchlights blinded Thalia, and the manticore swatted her away with its tail. Her shield flew off into the snow. Her spear flew in the other direction._

_Thorn’s giant paw came down to hit me and I almost didn’t see it in time. I raised Kleftis to slice into is palm and it worked – kind of._

_He gave a pained roar and then threw me into a tree, so I guess we were equal._

_"No!" Percy ran out to help Thalia, he parried away a spike just before it would've hit her chest then raised his shield over us, but I knew it wouldn't be enough._

_Dr Thorn laughed. "Now do you see how hopeless it is? Yield, little heroes."_

_We were trapped between a monster and a fully armed helicopter. We had no chance._

_Then I heard a clear, piercing sound: the call of a hunting horn blowing in the woods._

Wow, _I thought,_ I probably would’ve preferred the death by manticore.

_The manticore froze. For a moment, no one moved. There was only the swirl of snow and wind and the chopping of the helicopter blades._

_"No," Dr Thorn said. "It cannot be—"_

_His sentence was cut short when something shot past me like a streak of moonlight. A glowing silver arrow sprouted from Dr Thorn's shoulder._

_He staggered backward, wailing in agony._

_"Curse you!" Thorn cried. He unleashed his spikes, dozens of them at once, into the woods where the arrow had come from, but just as fast, silvery arrows shot back in reply. It almost looked like the arrows had intercepted the thorns in mid-air and sliced them in two, which was so bloody typical of the hunters. Show-offs._

_The manticore pulled the arrow out of his shoulder with a howl of pain. His breathing was heavy. Percy tried to swipe at him with his sword, but he wasn't as injured as he looked. He dodged the attack and slammed his tail into Percy’s shield, knocking him aside._

_I tried to struggle to my feet, but the breath had been completely taken out of me._

_Then the archers came from the woods. They were girls, about a dozen of them. The youngest was maybe ten. The oldest, about fourteen, like us. They wore silvery ski parkas and jeans, and they were all armed with bows. They advanced on the manticore with determined expressions._

_"The Hunters!" Annabeth cried._

_“Unfortunately.” I agreed, through gritted teeth._

_Thalia muttered, "Oh, wonderful."_

_One of the older archers stepped forward with her bow drawn. She was tall and graceful with coppery coloured skin. Unlike the other girls, she had a silver circlet braided into the top of her long dark hair, so she looked like some kind of Persian princess. "Permission to kill, my lady?"_

_Just seeing her made me angry. I could easily remember how she’d spoken to Luke when we first met and I was pissed._

_The monster wailed. "This is not fair! Direct interference! It is against the Ancient Laws."_

_"Not so," another girl said. This one was a little younger than me, maybe twelve or thirteen. She had auburn hair gathered back in a ponytail and strange eyes, silvery yellow like the moon. Her face was so beautiful it made me catch my breath, but her expression was stern and dangerous. "The hunting of all wild beasts is within my sphere. And you, foul creature, are a wild beast." She looked at the older girl with the circlet. "Zoe, permission granted."_

_Lady Artemis. I realised._

_Brilliant – I was perfectly happy hating the hunters. Why did she have to be there? She’d done me a favour – saved my life – all those years ago with Craig. She was maybe the one Olympian I didn’t dislike on principal._

_The manticore growled. "If I cannot have these alive, I shall have them dead!"_

_He lunged at Thalia and Percy, knowing they were weak and dazed._

_"No.'" Annabeth yelled, and she charged at the monster._

_"Get back, half-blood!" Zoe said. "Get out of the line of fire!"_

_But Annabeth leaped onto the monster's back and drove her knife into his mane. The manticore howled, turning in circles with his tail flailing as Annabeth hung on for dear life._

_"Fire!" Zoe ordered._

_"No!" Percy, Thalia and I yelled._

_But the Hunters let their arrows fly. The first caught the manticore in the neck. Another hit his chest. The manticore staggered backward, wailing, "This is not the end, Huntress! You shall pay!"_

_And before anyone could react, the monster, with Annabeth still on his back, leaped over the cliff and tumbled into the darkness._

_I felt my heart drop through my chest and my blood go cold._

_"Annabeth!" Percy yelled._

_He started to run after her, but our enemies weren't done with us. There was a snap-snap-snap from the helicopter — the sound of gunfire._

_Most of the Hunters scattered as tiny holes appeared in the snow at their feet, but the girl with auburn hair just looked up calmly at the helicopter._

_"Mortals," she announced, "are not allowed to witness my hunt."_

_She thrust out her hand, and the helicopter exploded into dust — no, not dust. The black metal dissolved into a flock of birds — ravens, which scattered into the night._

_The Hunters advanced on us._

_The one called Zoe stopped short when she saw Thalia and I. "You," she said with distaste._

_"Zoe Nightshade." Thalia's voice trembled with anger. "Perfect timing, as usual."_

_I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Annabeth would be at the bottom of the cliff. How could Annabeth–? She – she’s – she always has a plan – she must know what to do._

_Zoe scanned the rest of us. "Five half-bloods and a satyr, my lady."_

_"Yes," the younger girl said. "Some of Chiron's campers, I see."_

_"Annabeth!" Percy yelled. "You have to let us save her!"_

_The auburn-haired girl turned toward him. "I'm sorry, Percy Jackson, but your friend is beyond help."_

_Percy tried to struggle to his feet, but a couple of the girls held him down. I knew Percy would be willing to take off the side of the cliff if there was a chance of saving Annabeth._

_Saving Annabeth. It felt wrong – Annabeth had never needed saving before. I felt the breath stick in my throat. My eyes burned. She couldn’t die. She just. She couldn’t._

_"You are in no condition to be hurling yourself off cliffs," Artemis said._

_"Let me go!" Percy demanded. "Who do you think you are?"_

_Zoe stepped forward as if to smack him. I stepped towards her, Kleftis still in my hand. She could try._

_"No," Artemis ordered. "I sense no disrespect, Zoe. He is simply distraught. He does not understand."_

_She looked at Percy, her eyes colder and brighter than the winter moon. "I am Artemis," she said. "Goddess of the Hunt."_

_"Um… okay." Percy replied – he looked a bit shell-shocked so I edged closer to him, he looked at me and I was the confusion and pain in his green eyes. Annabeth._

_It was kind of like being underwater, when you get to the point where your ears start ringing. Everything felt far off, all I could see clearly was Annabeth falling off the side of the cliff._

_“Lady Artemis.” I nodded, still a million miles away._

_That was nothing compared to Grover. He gasped, then knelt hastily in the snow and started yammering, "Thank you, Lady Artemis! You're so… you're so… Wow!"_

_"Get up, goat boy!" Thalia snapped. "We have other things to worry about. Annabeth is gone!"_

_"Whoa," Bianca di Angelo said. "Hold up. Time out."_

_Everybody looked at her. She pointed her finger at all of us in turn, like she was trying to connect the dots. "Who… who are you people?"_

_Artemis's expression softened. "It might be a better question, my dear girl, to ask who are you? Who are your parents?"_

_Bianca glanced nervously at her brother, who was still staring in awe at Artemis._

_“Our parents are dead," Bianca said. "We're orphans. There's a bank trust that pays for our school, but…"_

_She faltered. I guess she could tell from our faces that we didn't believe her._

_"What?" she demanded. "I'm telling the truth."_

_“You think you are.” I told her. “But you’ve been lied to.”_

_"You are a half-blood," Zoe Nightshade said. Her accent was hard to place. It sounded old-fashioned, like she was reading from a really old book. "One of thy parents was mortal. The other was an Olympian."_

_"An Olympian… athlete?"_

_"No," Zoe said. "One of the gods."_

_"Cool!" said Nico._

_"No!" Bianca's voice quavered. "This is not cool!"_

_Nico danced around like he needed to use the restroom. "Does Zeus really have lightning bolts that do six hundred damage? Does he get extra movement points for—"_

_"Nico, shut up!" Bianca put her hands to her face. "This is not your stupid Mythomagic game, okay? There are no gods!"_

_As anxious as I felt about Annabeth — all I wanted to do was search for her — I couldn't help feeling sorry for the di Angelos. I couldn’t remember what it was like to find out I was a demigod, really; it was something Mom had always told Luke and I, but I imagined she was feeling way in over her head._

_Thalia must've been feeling something similar, because the anger in her eyes subsided a little bit. "Bianca, I know it's hard to believe. But the gods are still around. Trust me. They're immortal. And whenever they have kids with regular humans, kids like us, well… Our lives are dangerous."_

_"Dangerous," Bianca said, "like the girl who fell."_

_Thalia turned away. Even Artemis looked pained._

_"Do not despair for Annabeth," the goddess said. "She was a brave maiden. If she can be found, I shall find her."_

_“She’s still alive though, right?” I asked, terrified out of my mind. “She can_ be _found?”_

_“Yes, child.” Artemis replied. “She is.”_

_That didn’t totally answer my question, but I nodded._

_"Then why won't you let us go look for her?" Percy asked._

_"She is gone. Can't you sense it, Son of Poseidon? Some magic is at work. I do not know exactly how or why, but your friend has vanished."_

_I still wanted to jump off the cliff and search for her, but I had a feeling that Artemis was right. Annabeth wouldn’t be found by us tonight._

_Percy nodded – maybe he couldn’t feel her in the sea?_

_"Oo!" Nico raised his hand. "What about Dr Thorn? That was awesome how you shot him with arrows! Is he dead?"_

_"He was a manticore," Artemis said. "Hopefully he is destroyed for now, but monsters never truly die. They re-form over and over again, and they must be hunted whenever they reappear."_

_"Or they'll hunt us," Thalia said._

_Bianca di Angelo shivered. "That explains… Nico, you remember last summer, those guys who tried to attack us in the alley in DC?"_

_"And that bus driver," Nico said. "The one with the ram's horns. I told you that was real."_

_"That's why Grover has been watching you," Percy said. "To keep you safe, if you turned out to be half-bloods."_

_"Grover?" Bianca stared at him. "You're a demigod?"_

_"Well, a satyr, actually." He kicked off his shoes and displayed his goat hooves. I thought Bianca was going to faint right there._

_"Grover, put your shoes back on," Thalia said. "You're freaking her out."_

_"Hey, my hooves are clean!"_

_“Not the point.” I replied._

_"Bianca," Percy said, "we came here to help you. You and Nico need training to survive. Dr Thorn won't be the last monster you meet. You need to come to camp."_

_"Camp?" she asked._

_"Camp Half-Blood," I said. "It's where half-bloods learn to survive and stuff. You can join us, stay there year-round if you like."_

_"Sweet, let's go!" said Nico._

_"Wait," Bianca shook her head. "I don't—"_

_"There is another option," Zoe said._

_"No, there isn't!" Thalia said._

_Thalia and I glared at Zoe._

_"We've burdened these children enough," Artemis announced. "Zoe, we will rest here for a few hours. Raise the tents. Treat the wounded. Retrieve our guests' belongings from the school."_

_"Yes, my lady."_

_"And, Bianca, come with me. I would like to speak with you."_

_"What about me?" Nico asked._

_Artemis considered the boy. "Perhaps you can show Grover how to play that card game you enjoy. I'm sure Grover would be happy to entertain you for a while… as a favour to me?"_

_Grover just about tripped over himself getting up. "You bet! Come on, Nico!"_

_Nico and Grover walked off toward the woods, talking about hit points and armor ratings and a bunch of other geeky stuff. Artemis led a confused-looking Bianca along the cliff. The Hunters began unpacking their knapsacks and making camp._

_Zoe gave Thalia and me one more evil look, then left to oversee things._

_As soon as she was gone, Thalia stamped her foot in frustration. "The nerve of those Hunters! They think they're so… Argh!"_

_“Self-satisfied assholes.” I agreed, seething._

_"I'm with you," Percy said. "I don't trust—"_

_"Oh, you're with us?" Thalia turned on him furiously. "What were you thinking back there in the gym, Percy? You'd take on Dr Thorn all by yourself? You knew he was a monster! If we'd stuck together, we could've taken him without the Hunters getting involved. Annabeth might still be here. Did you think of that?"_

_Percy jaw clenched. I looked down and saw something navy blue lying in the snow at our feet. Annabeth's New York Yankees baseball cap. My eyes burned again._

_Thalia didn't say another word. She wiped a tear from her cheek, turned, and marched off, leaving Percy and I alone with a trampled cap in the snow._

_The Hunters set up their camping site in a matter of minutes. Seven large tents, all of silver silk, curved in a crescent around one side of a bonfire. One of the girls blew a silver dog whistle, and a dozen white wolves appeared out of the woods. They began circling the camp like guard dogs. The Hunters walked among them and fed them treats, completely unafraid, but I decided I would stick close to the tents. Falcons watched us from the trees, their eyes flashing in the firelight, and I got the feeling they were on guard duty, too. Even the weather seemed to bend to the goddess's will. The air was still cold, but the wind died down and the snow stopped falling, so it was almost pleasant sitting by the fire._

_Almost… except for the guilt weighing me down. I couldn't believe Annabeth was gone. We hadn’t been able to do anything to stop it. Nothing at all._

_I watched Thalia pacing in the snow at the edge of camp, walking among the wolves without fear. She stopped and looked back at Westover Hall, which was now completely dark, looming on the hillside beyond the woods. I wondered what she was thinking._

_Seven years ago, Thalia had been turned into a pine tree by her father, to prevent her from dying. She'd stood her ground against an army of monsters on top of Half-Blood Hill in order to give Luke, Annabeth and me time to escape. She'd only been back as a human for a few months now, and once in a while she would stand so motionless you'd think she was still a tree._

_Finally, one of the Hunters brought Percy his backpack. Grover and Nico came back from their walk, and Grover helped me fix up Percy’s wounded arm._

_"It's green!" Nico said with delight._

_"Hold still," I told him. "Eat some ambrosia while I clean that out."_

_I remember what I’d meant to tell Percy in the gym, when we ended up dancing. I couldn’t say it now, but it wasn’t hard to tell that Percy was curious. His eyes locked on me and I dressed his wound, I could feel the heat rise in my cheeks, but I was too worn out to say anything._

_Nico rummaged through his own bag, which the Hunters had apparently packed for him, though how they'd snuck into Westover Hall unseen, I didn't know. Nico laid out a bunch of figurines in the snow — little battle replicas of Greek gods and heroes. I recognized Zeus with a lightning bolt, Ares with a spear, and Apollo with his sun chariot._

_"Big collection," Percy said._

_Nico grinned. "I've got almost all of them, plus their holographic cards! Well, except for a few really rare ones."_

_"You've been playing this game a long time?"_

_"Just this year. Before that…" He knit his eyebrows._

_"What?" I asked._

_"I forget. That's weird."_

_He looked unsettled, but it didn't last long. "Hey, can I see that sword you were using?"_

_Percy showed him Riptide, and explained how it turned from a pen into a sword just by uncapping it._

_"Cool! Does it ever run out of ink?"_

_"Um, well, I don't actually write with it."_

_"Are you really the son of Poseidon?"_

_"Well, yeah."_

_"Can you surf really well, then?"_

_Percy looked at Grover and me as we tried hard not to laugh._

_"Jeez, Nico," I said. "I've never really tried."_

_He went on asking questions. Did Percy fight a lot with Thalia, since she was a daughter of Zeus? (He didn't answer that one.) If Annabeth's mother was Athena, the goddess of wisdom, then why didn't Annabeth know better than to fall off a cliff? (I tried not to strangle Nico for asking that one.) Was I Percy’s girlfriend? (At this point, I was ready to stick the kid in a meat-flavoured sack and throw him to the wolves – Grover laughed wetly, the absolute traitor.) I figured any second he was going to ask Percy how many hit points he had, and he'd lose his cool completely, but then Zoe Nightshade came up to us._

_"Percy Jackson. Clara Castellan."_

_She had dark brown eyes and a slightly upturned nose. She studied us distastefully, like we were bags of dirty laundry she'd been sent to fetch._

_"Come with me," she said. "Lady Artemis wishes to speak with thee."_ I felt sick thinking about that memory. Every time I thought about my stupid, childish crush on Percy I felt disgusted with myself. He'd helped kill my brother – I only wanted him to be found safe because of his mom. The idea of _Percy_ made my blood burn with anger.

Jason kicked Leo in the shin and I shook myself out of the memory. “Don’t mind Leo. He’s just trying to break the ice. But, Thalia… what happened to our family? Who told you I was dead?”

Thalia tugged at a silver bracelet on her wrist.

“Do you remember anything?” she asked.

Jason shook his head. “I woke up three days ago on a bus with Leo and Piper.”

“Which wasn’t our fault,” Leo added hastily.

“Hera stole his memories.” I told Thalia, when she looked a little doubtful.

Thalia tensed. “Hera? How do you know that?”

Jason explained about our quest — the prophecy at camp, Hera getting imprisoned, the giant taking Piper’s dad, and the winter solstice deadline. Leo chimed in to add the important stuff: how he’d fixed the bronze dragon, could throw fireballs, and made excellent tacos. I mostly stayed quiet, only mentioning small things Jason forgot.

Thalia was a good listener. Outwardly, nothing seemed to surprise her — the monsters, the prophecies, the dead rising. Inside, I knew she was shaken. When Jason mentioned King Midas, she cursed in Ancient Greek.

“I knew we should’ve burned down his mansion,” she said. “That man’s a menace. But we were so intent on following Lycaon — Well, I’m glad you got away. So Hera’s been… what, hiding you all these years?”

“I don’t know.” Jason brought out the photo from his pocket. “She left me just enough memory to recognize your face.”

Thalia looked at the picture, and her expression softened. “I’d forgotten about that. I left it in Cabin One, didn’t I?”

Jason nodded. “I think Hera wanted for us to meet. When we landed here, at this cave… I had a feeling it was important. Like I knew you were close by. Is that crazy?”

“Nah,” Leo assured him. “We were absolutely destined to meet your hot sister.”

Thalia ignored him. I kicked his foot.

“Jason,” she said, “when you’re dealing with the gods, nothing is too crazy. But you can’t trust Hera, especially since we’re children of Zeus. She hates all children of Zeus.”

“But she said something about Zeus giving her my life as a peace offering. Does that make any sense?”

The colour drained from Thalia’s face. “Oh, gods. Mother wouldn’t have… You don’t remember — No, of course you don’t.”

“What?” Jason asked.

Thalia’s features seemed to grow older in the firelight, like her immortality wasn’t working so well.

“Jason… I’m not sure how to say this. Our mom wasn’t exactly stable. She caught Zeus’s eye because she was a television actress, and she was beautiful, but she didn’t handle the fame well. She drank, pulled stupid stunts. She was always in the tabloids. She could never get enough attention. Even before you were born, she and I argued all the time. She… she knew Dad was Zeus, and I think that was too much for her to take. It was like the ultimate achievement for her to attract the lord of the sky, and she couldn’t accept it when he left. The thing about the gods… well, they don’t hang around.”

Some of this I’d known before, but a lot of it was new. I couldn’t help feeling sorry for her. Luke and I had dealt with our Mom, who was similar in some ways, and I could understand how awful it was. Hell, Tori had left to live with her grandma when she was just three. When we travelled together, we’d say it sometimes; blame the gods, rail against them. But it was more than that. Beryl Grace and May Castellan had loved selfishly, had loved Gods like mortal men – they paid a heavy price for it.

I watched Jason’s face — looking more and more devastated as Thalia described their mom — and I felt bad for Jason, all over again, not having memories like that—not having anything to fall back on. I was lucky – I’d had Luke and Thalia. I’d spent time in Camp Half Blood with Travis and Conner and Mitchell. Even if everything was broken now, I'd had family then.

It was a cruel twist of fate that someone as good as Jason didn’t have family he could remember.

“So…” Jason didn’t seem able to finish the question.

“Jason, you got friends,” Leo told him. “Now you got a sister. You’re not alone.”

“There’s Camp Half Blood too.” I said quietly. “Leo’s right, we’ve got your back.”

Thalia offered her hand, and Jason took it.

“When I was about seven,” she said, “Zeus started visiting Mom again. I think he felt bad about wrecking her life, and he seemed — different somehow. A little older and sterner, more fatherly toward me. For a while, Mom improved. She loved having Zeus around, bringing her presents, causing the sky to rumble. She always wanted more attention. That’s the year you were born. Mom… well, I never got along with her, but you gave me a reason to hang around. You were so cute. And I didn’t trust Mom to look after you. Of course, Zeus eventually stopped coming by again. He probably couldn’t stand Mom’s demands anymore, always pestering him to let her visit Olympus, or to make her immortal or eternally beautiful. When he left for good, Mom got more and more unstable. That was about the time the monsters started attacking me. Mom blamed Hera. She claimed the goddess was coming after you too — that Hera had barely tolerated my birth, but two demigod children from the same family was too big an insult. Mom even said she hadn’t wanted to name you Jason, but Zeus insisted, as a way to appease Hera because the goddess liked that name. I didn’t know what to believe.”

“How did you guys get separated?” Leo asked. I winced.

Thalia squeezed her brother’s hand. “If I’d known you were alive… gods, things would’ve been so different. But when you were two, Mom packed us in the car for a family vacation. We drove up north, toward the wine country, to this park she wanted to show us. I remember thinking it was strange because Mom never took us anywhere, and she was acting super nervous. I was holding your hand, walking you toward this big building in the middle of the park, and…”

She took a shaky breath. “Mom told me to go back to the car and get the picnic basket. I didn’t want to leave you alone with her, but it was only for a few minutes. When I came back… Mom was kneeling on the stone steps, hugging herself and crying. She said — she said you were gone. She said Hera claimed you and you were as good as dead. I didn’t know what she’d done. I was afraid she’d completely lost her mind. I ran all over the place looking for you, but you’d just vanished. She had to drag me away, kicking and screaming. For the next few days I was hysterical. I don’t remember everything, but I called the police on Mom and they questioned her for a long time. Afterward, we fought. She told me I’d betrayed her, that I should support her, like she was the only one who mattered. Finally I couldn’t stand it. Your disappearance was the last straw. I ran away from home, and I never went back, not even when Mom died a few years ago. I thought you were gone forever.”

She glanced in my direction, but I knew she was thinking about that day in the park, the oppressing heat around us; the only time she’d ever talked about Jason. “I only ever told Luke and Clara about you once.” Thalia admitted.

“Chiron knew.” Jason’s voice sounded far away. “When I got to camp, he took one look at me and said, ‘You should be dead.’”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Thalia insisted. “I never told him.”

“Hey,” Leo said. “Important thing is you’ve got each other now, right? You two are lucky.”

Thalia nodded. “Leo’s right. Look at you. You’re my age. You’ve grown up.”

“But what about Roman stuff…” He turned to me, “If you’re right about Camp Jupiter, why did I…”

Thalia frowned. “The Roman stuff?”

“Your brother speaks Latin,” Leo said. “He calls gods by their Roman names, and he’s got tattoos.” Leo pointed out the marks on Jason’s arm. Then I gave Thalia the rundown about the other weird stuff that had happened: Boreas turning into Aquilon, Lycaon calling Jason a “child of Rome,” and the wolves backing off when Jason spoke Latin to them. I explained Camp Jupiter briefly (mainly because I didn’t know much about it), I told her the things I’d heard from Luke and Ethan: they were the ones that toppled Kronos’ throne, they believed in the Roman gods and that they were a fearsome war society.

Thalia plucked her bowstring. “Latin. Zeus sometimes spoke Latin, the second time he stayed with Mom. Like I said, he seemed different, more formal.”

“You think he was in his Roman aspect?” Jason asked. “And that’s why I think of myself as a child of Jupiter?”

“Possibly,” Thalia said. “I’ve never heard of something like that happening, but it might explain why you think in Roman terms, why you can speak Latin rather than Ancient Greek. Camp Jupiter would explain how you survived too; a child of Zeus, or Jupiter, or whatever you want to call him — you would’ve been hounded by monsters. If you were on your own, you should’ve died years ago. I know I wouldn’t have been able to survive without friends. You would’ve needed training, a safe haven—”

“We’ve heard about others like him.” Leo said.

Thalia looked at him strangely. “What do you mean?”

Leo told her about the slashed-up purple shirt in Medea’s department store, and the story the Cyclopes told about the child of Mercury who spoke Latin.

Thalia shook her head. “I’ll have to talk to the goddess. Maybe Artemis will guide us.”

“She’s still talking to you?” Jason asked. “Most of the gods have gone silent.”

“Artemis follows her own rules,” Thalia said. “She has to be careful not to let Zeus know, but she thinks Zeus is being ridiculous closing Olympus.”

“She’s cleverer than Zeus.” I pointed out. Jason raised an eyebrow at me and I had to work not to stick my tongue out at him. _You’re meant to be an almost-adult, Clara,_ I told myself, _don’t act like you’re three._

“She’s the one who set us on the trail of Lycaon. She said we’d find a lead to a missing friend of ours.”

“Percy Jackson,” Leo guessed. “The guy Annabeth is looking for.”

Thalia nodded, her face full of concern. She glanced at me and I kept my eyes determinedly on Leo and Jason even as resentment burned in my chest.

“So what would Lycaon have to do with it?” Leo asked. “And how does it connect to us?”

“We need to find out soon,” Thalia admitted. “If your deadline is tomorrow, we’re wasting time. Aeolus could tell you—”

The white wolf appeared again at the doorway and yipped insistently.

“I have to get moving.” Thalia stood. “Otherwise I’ll lose the other Hunters’ trail. First, though, I’ll take you to Aeolus’s palace.”

Dusting down my jeans, I stood up too. My head swam slightly – when was the last time I drank anything – or slept? I pulled my flask of coffee from my bag and found it mostly full – oops. I drank it as fast as I could. I loved coffee. I would lie on coffee if I could; coffee and tiramisu. 

Thalia gave me a weird look, and I realised I must’ve looked a little phsyco, downing coffee and grinning like a maniac.

“If you can’t, it’s okay,” Jason said, though he sounded kind of distressed.

“Oh, please.” Thalia smiled and helped him up. “I haven’t had a brother in years. I think I can stand a few minutes with you before you get annoying. Now, let’s go.”


	25. twenty five | burning bridges

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Just listen,” Leo insisted. “If Jason is a bridge, what’s he connecting? Maybe two different places that normally don’t get along — like the air palace and the ground. You had to be somewhere before this, right? And Hera said you were an exchange.”
> 
> “An exchange.” Thalia’s eyes widened. “Oh, gods.”

**xxv**

**clara**

**December, 2015**

I should have known I was wrong, because I’d seen the Hunter’s tents before, but I’d imagined Gleeson freezing his hindquarters off in the snow, I’d guessed they’d give Piper as much luxury as they could to convince her to join them, which I was right about. Phoebe had set up this silver tent pavilion thing right outside the cave.

How she’d done it so fast, I had no idea, but inside was a kerosene heater keeping them toasty warm and a bunch of comfy throw pillows. Piper looked back to normal, decked out in a new parka, gloves, and cameo pants like a Hunter. She and Gleeson and Phoebe were kicking back, drinking hot chocolate.

Suddenly, my cold coffee wasn’t as appetising.

“Oh, no way,” Leo said. “We’ve been sitting in a cave and you get the luxury tent? Somebody give me hypothermia. I want hot chocolate and a parka!”

Phoebe sniffed. “Boys,” she said, like it was the worst insult she could think of.

“Yeah…” I said to Leo, “They’re not fond of blokes.”

“It’s all right, Phoebe,” Thalia said. “They’ll need extra coats. And I think we can spare some chocolate.”

Phoebe grumbled, but soon Leo, Jason and I were also dressed in silvery winter clothes that were incredibly lightweight and warm. The hot chocolate was first-rate. I grinned and sat next to Piper, mostly because she was now toasty warm, but also because seeing her looking healthy again made me feel like someone had taken an anvil off my shoulders.

“Cheers!” said Coach Hedge. He crunched down his plastic thermos cup.

“That cannot be good for your intestines,” Leo said.

Thalia patted Piper on the back. “You up for moving?”

Piper nodded. “Thanks to Phoebe, yeah. You guys are really good at this wilderness survival thing. I feel like I could run ten miles.”

Thalia winked at Jason. “She’s tough for a child of Aphrodite. I like this one.”

“Hey, I could run ten miles too,” Leo volunteered. “Tough Hephaestus kid here. Let’s hit it.”

Naturally, Thalia ignored him. I snorted into my hot chocolate, then hid from the judgy look I got from Thalia. I could hear Piper giggling.

It took Phoebe exactly six seconds to break camp, which made Leo look like he was about to explode.

“Phoebe,” I said, jogging up to her, “You’re smart right?” I said, before wincing when I realised how tactless I was.

“Yes.” She replied, utterly shamelessly.

I nodded and slid the vial out of my pocket. “Can you check this over? It’s meant to cure – well, pretty much everything actually. It was from a witch though so secretly be drakon piss for all I know.”

Phoebe looked at me dubiously. “Sure. Whatever.”

“Thanks.” I grinned, jogging away to join Thalia and the others.

* * *

Thalia ran uphill through the snow, hugging a tiny little path on the side of the mountain, the hunter’s were pretty badass and left us in their dust mostly. By virtue of being Hermes’ daughter, I could keep up with them alright – Jason could too, I guessed he must be used to this kind of thing. He feel back a little while later, it didn’t look like it was from exhaustion, though.

Coach Hedge leaped around like a happy mountain goat, coaxing us on like he was still a gym teacher. “Come on, Valdez! Pick up the pace! Let’s chant. I’ve got a girl in Kalamazoo—”

“Let’s not,” Thalia snapped.

So we ran in silence.

Leo fell in next to Jason at the back of the group. “How you doing, man?”

Jason didn’t answer, and I didn’t turn to look back at him, but I guessed the answer wasn’t going to be great.

“Thalia takes it so calmly,” Jason said. “Like it’s no big deal that I appeared. I didn’t know what I was expecting, but… she’s not like me. She seems so much more together.”

“Hey, she’s not fighting amnesia,” Leo said. “Plus, she’s had more time to get used to this whole demigod thing. You fight monsters and talk to gods for a while, you probably get used to surprises.”

“Maybe,” Jason said. “I just wish I understood what happened when I was two, why my mom got rid of me. Thalia ran away because of me.”

“Hey, whatever’s happened, it wasn’t your fault. And your sister is pretty cool. She’s a lot like you.”

Jason took that in silence.

I sighed, the poor guy sounded so lost. I hoped the vial was legit, at least then Jason would be able to get his memories back – know who he really was, remember his family and all that.

“Hey,” Thalia said as she slowed down to run next to me.

“Hi,” I replied. Guilt churned in my stomach – I hadn’t Iris Messaged Thalia in months, the whole time I’d been travelling the only person I’d remembered to talk to had been Chiron.

“It’s good to know you’re alive.” She said in a voice that would be casual if I couldn’t hear the anger simmering in her voice. “I was worried for, uh, a _few months_.”

Wincing, I looked at Thalia. Her eyes were locked in front of her, there were snowflakes in her spikey black hair. “I’m sorry.” I started.

“I only knew you were breathing because Chiron checked in.” Thalia added, she laughed humourlessly. “I was _worried_ about you, Clara. After Olympus–” Thalia stopped talking abruptly. She took a deep breath and met my eyes for a few moments. “I saw you on Olympus, you were covered in blood, you had a knife in your side – you were almost dead. Then you just disappear! I would’ve _helped_ you, Clara. Camp would’ve.”

I felt ill. I knew Thalia was right about most of that. “I never meant to worry you, I just didn’t think.” I admitted. “There’s… I’m a traitor to Camp Half Blood – whatever Zeus decreed that’s always how they’ll think of me. I don’t blame them, either.”

“You should.” Thalia snapped, but I could tell it wasn’t directed at me.

“I couldn’t have stayed there,” I said. “Everything was just screaming ‘He isn’t here’ at me. You know?”

“Yeah.” Thalia said, her voice was raw. “I get it. I know why you left – I don’t know why you never asked for help!”

“Figured it was about time I stopped.” _Ethan always told me I needed to stop._

“That’s messed up.” Thalia said bluntly. “I would’ve stayed with you. I needed you, too. You could’ve joined the hunt if you need to get away from Camp that bad, you–”

Thalia went to say something else, but she caught sight of my bright red cheeks and stopped instantly. “You couldn’t join the hunt… even if you wanted to.” I didn’t say anything, and tried to will my cheeks to go back to their normal colour. “Clara! What the hell? Who did you even–”

“It doesn’t matter, does it?” I backpedalled as best I could.

“Yeah, it does!”

I sighed. “Do you remember Ethan Nakamura?” I asked her, she thought for a moment and nodded. “We slept together a few times, on the Princess Andromeda.”

Thalia went to nod, then looked pissed again. “How old were you? You know, when you…”

“That’s personal.”

“Clara.”

“Fine. I was fifteen. Almost fifteen.” I said.

There were a few moments of silence. “How old was Ethan?”

“Eighteen.” I replied. Thalia breathed in sharply.

“You’re not stupid, Clara.” She told me, which sounded fake, but I didn’t say that. “You must know that’s fucked. Luke would’ve killed him if he’d have known.”

“Yeah, Ethan said we shouldn’t tell him.” I replied, not realising how bad the words sounded until they were out of my mouth.

“Wonderful!” Thalia responded, sounding livid. “So, this eighteen year old messes around with you, then makes you keep it a secret from the only person there who'd look out for you, then lets Kronos throw you into Tartarus. Anything else I should know?”

"The last thing I said to Percy was – paraphrasing, but still – that I wished he was dead." Thalia breathed in sharply. "Oh, we kissed before that, under Mount Saint Helens."

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair.

"Bloody hell. What'd he say?"

"Nothing, as far as I can remember. He just kinda looked at me." I blinked, shame washing over me all over again. It wasn't that I didn’t believe what I'd said, because I did, but I should have been able to control myself better. “I left Camp after that.” I specified but glad to get the topic off Ethan. “And we never talked about it. Any of it.”

“For god’s sake, Clara.” Thalia said, but there was something sympathetic in her voice. She gritted her teeth and looked around, seemingly deciding that it was the wrong place for the conversation. She breathed in and out slowly, then forced a grin. “And on that note, managed to piss off any more of them?”

“Not that I know of.” I shrugged. “But Zeus probably still wants me to die. Your little brother did annoy Khione though,” I remembered, smiling slightly as Thalia looked at me for an explanation, “He electrocuted her when she started hitting on him.” Thalia snorted and glanced back at Jason.

“You’re still not a fan, then?” Thalia checked.

“Nope, the odd one’s alright – Artemis is cool. Hestia’s fine too, I guess. But no.” She nodded.

“I don’t get why Artemis is the one of the very few goddess you actually like.” Thalia asked. “I mean, she’s awesome and everything. But why just her?” I felt like I was going to keel over if I answered her honestly, but Jason’s advice was still in my head and I owed Thalia some honesty.

“She saved my life once.” I told Thalia, skin burning even as I said it.

Thalia stumbled a little in surprise and it was a testament to how on edge I was that I didn’t even think to take the mick. “What? When?”

“When I was five a nonce drugged me and tried to rape me.” I looked at her face; I’d never seen her look so furious. “He didn’t.” I added. “Artemis woke me up from the roofies. Or whatever they were.” Thalia still looked murderous. “It’s alright.” I said serenely. “That was how Luke got his golf club. He, uh, beat Craig to death with it.”

Thalia paled slightly, understanding dawning over her sharp features. “Since when do you volunteer information?” Thalia asked me gently, I could tell she was restraining herself from asking more – I was grateful she knew me well enough to divert.

“Your little brother, actually.” I told her conversationally, like we were talking about a new ice cream parlour. “He said it was probably best not to bottle everything up till I burned myself up.”

“He’s got a point.” Thalia acknowledged.

“You’re biased.” I teased and she shoved me into the snow. When she leaned down to pick me up, she whispered quietly in my ear. “I’d kill that bastard.” She promised. “I’m glad Luke did. You didn’t deserve that.”

“Thanks, Thals.” I replied, hugging her quickly and getting a face full of snow from her shoulder.

* * *

When we stopped, Leo was so lost in thought, he didn’t even notice. He slammed into Thalia and nearly sent them both down the side of the mountain the hard way. Fortunately, Thalia was light on her feet. She steadied them both, then pointed up.

“That,” Leo choked, “is a really large rock.”

We stood near the summit of Pikes Peak. Below us the world was blanketed in clouds. The air was so thin, I could hardly breathe, I thought about reaching for my inhaler, but I figured I’d mostly be alright if I just ignored it. Night had set in, but a full moon shone and the stars were incredible. Stretching out to the north and south, peaks of other mountains rose from the clouds like islands — or teeth.

But the real show was above us. Hovering in the sky, about a quarter mile away, was a massive free-floating island of glowing purple stone. It was hard to judge its size, but I guessed it was at least as wide as a football stadium and just as tall. The sides were rugged cliffs, riddled with caves, and every once in a while a gust of wind burst out with a sound like a pipe organ blast. At the top of the rock, brass walls ringed some kind of a fortress.

The only thing connecting Pikes Peak to the floating island was a narrow bridge of ice that glistened in the moonlight.

Then I realized the bridge wasn’t exactly ice, because it wasn’t solid. As the winds changed direction, the bridge snaked around—blurring and thinning, in some places even breaking into a dotted line like the vapour trail of a plane.

“We’re not seriously crossing that,” Leo said.

Thalia shrugged. “I’m not a big fan of heights, I’ll admit. But if you want to get to Aeolus’s fortress, this is the only way.”

I was very, _very_ glad I had my flying shoes on. _Just so glad_.

“Is the fortress always hanging there?” Piper asked. “How can people not notice it sitting on top of Pikes Peak?”

“The Mist,” Thalia said. “Still, mortals do notice it indirectly. Some days, Pikes Peak looks purple. People say it’s a trick of the light, but actually it’s the colour of Aeolus’s palace, reflecting off the mountain face.”

“It’s enormous,” Jason said.

Thalia laughed. “You should see Olympus, little brother.”

“You’re serious? You’ve been there?”

I winced. Thalia grimaced – it wasn’t a good memory. “We should go across in two different groups. The bridge is fragile.”

“That’s reassuring,” Leo said. “Jason, Clara, can’t you guys just fly us up there?”

Thalia laughed. Then she seemed to realize Leo’s question wasn’t a joke. “Wait… Jason, you can fly?”

Jason gazed up at the floating fortress. “Well, sort of. More like I can control the winds. But the winds up here are so strong, I’m not sure I’d want to try. Thalia, you mean… you can’t fly?”

For a second, Thalia looked genuinely afraid. Then she got her expression under control. I remembered when she flew Apollo’s sun chariot and I really didn’t want to imagine it.

“Truthfully,” she said, “I’ve never tried. Might be better if we stuck to the bridge.”

Coach Hedge tapped the ice vapour trail with his hoof, then jumped onto the bridge. Amazingly, it held his weight. “Easy! I’ll go first. Piper, come on, girl. I’ll give you a hand.”

“No, that’s okay,” Piper started to say, but the coach grabbed her hand and dragged her up the bridge. If I wasn’t so worried, I would’ve giggled.

“Maia.” I said, rising into the air as best I could, the winds were strong and I’d had more than enough of long falls.

When they were about halfway, the bridge still seemed to be holding them just fine.

Thalia turned to her Hunter friend. “Phoebe, I’ll be back soon. Go find the others. Tell them I’m on my way.”

“You sure?” Phoebe narrowed her eyes at Leo and Jason, like they might kidnap Thalia or something.

“It’s fine,” Thalia promised.

Phoebe nodded reluctantly, then raced down the mountain path, the white wolves at her heels.

“Jason, Leo, just be careful where you step,” Thalia said. “It hardly ever breaks.”

“It hasn’t met me yet,” Leo muttered, but he, Jason and I led the way up the bridge.

Halfway up, things went wrong, and of course it was Leo’s fault. Piper and Gleeson had already made it safely to the top and were waving at us, encouraging us to keep climbing – well, Leo and Jason to keep climbing, I was still using my shoes – but Leo got distracted. Then he stopped him in his tracks.

“Why do they have a bridge?” he asked.

Thalia frowned. “Leo, this isn’t a good place to stop. What do you mean?”

“They’re wind spirits,” Leo said. “Can’t they fly?”

“Yes, but sometimes they need a way to connect to the world below.”

“So the bridge isn’t always here?” Leo asked.

Thalia shook her head. “The wind spirits don’t like to anchor to the earth, but sometimes it’s necessary. Like now. They know you’re coming.”

“Leo?” Jason said. “What are you thinking?”

Leo didn’t answer. His body steamed. Oh shit.

“Oh, gods,” Thalia said. “Keep moving. Look at your feet.”

Leo shuffled backward. His pants steamed in the cold air. His shoes were literally smoking, and the bridge didn’t like it. The ice was thinning.

“Leo, calm down.” I pleaded. “And move. You need to move.”

“Leo, stop it,” Jason warned. “You’re going to melt it.”

“I’ll try,” Leo said. “Listen, Jason, what did Hera call you in that dream? She called you a bridge.”

“Leo, seriously, cool down,” Thalia said. “I don’t what you’re talking about, but the bridge is—”

“Just listen,” Leo insisted. “If Jason is a bridge, what’s he connecting? Maybe two different places that normally don’t get along — like the air palace and the ground. You had to be somewhere before this, right? And Hera said you were an exchange.”

“An exchange.” Thalia’s eyes widened. “Oh, gods.”

“Percy.” I breathed in horror. Jason had been taken away from his home and left without memories for _him_?

Jason frowned. “What are you two talking about?”

Thalia murmured something like a prayer. “I understand now why Artemis sent me here. Jason — she told me to hunt for Lycaon and I would find a clue about Percy. You are the clue. Artemis wanted us to meet so I could hear your story.”

“I don’t understand,” he protested. “I don’t have a story. I don’t remember anything.”

“But Leo’s right,” Thalia said. “It’s all connected. If we just knew where—”

Leo snapped his fingers. “Jason, what did you call that place in your dream? That ruined house. The Wolf House?”

Thalia nearly choked. “The Wolf House? Jason, why didn’t you tell me that! That’s where they’re keeping Hera?”

“You know where it is?” Jason asked.

“You and Percy,” I said desperately to Jason, “that’s what started everything.” Jason looked at me and opened his mouth to say something.

Then the bridge dissolved. Leo would’ve fallen to his death, but Jason and I grabbed his coat and pulled him to safety. The three of us scrambled up the bridge, and when we turned, Thalia was on the other side of a thirty-foot chasm. The bridge was continuing to melt.

“Go!” Thalia shouted, backing down the bridge as it crumbled. “Find out where the giant is keeping Piper’s dad. Save him! I’ll take the Hunters to the Wolf House and hold it until you can get there. We can do both!”

“But where is the Wolf House?” Jason shouted.

“You know where it is, little brother!” She was so far away now that we could barely hear her voice over the wind. I was pretty sure she said: “I’ll see you there. I promise.”

Then she turned and raced down the dissolving bridge.

We had no time to stand around. We climbed for our lives, the ice vapour thinning under our feet. My heart was in my throat. My shoes were working harder than ever but the winds were stronger than them. Several times, Jason grabbed Leo and I and used the winds to keep us aloft, but it was more like bungee jumping than flying.

When we reached the floating island, Piper and Gleeson pulled us aboard just as the last of the vapour bridge vanished. We stood gasping for breath at the base of a stone stairway chiselled into the side of the cliff, leading up to the fortress.

I looked back down. The top of Pikes Peak floated below us in a sea of clouds, but there was no sign of Thalia. And Leo had just burned our only exit.

“What happened?” Piper demanded. “Leo, why are your clothes smoking?”

“I got a little heated,” he gasped. “Sorry, guys. Honest. I didn’t—”

“It’s all right,” Jason said, but his expression was grim. “We’ve got less than twenty-four hours to rescue a goddess and Piper’s dad. Let’s go see the king of the winds.”


	26. twenty six | king of the winds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hated being teased. I hated being tricked. And I had plenty of experience handling bullies who liked to do that stuff to me.

**xxvi**

**clara**

**December, 2015**

We’d found Thalia and lost her in less than an hour. I kept looking behind me, hoping to see her magically there, but of course she wasn’t.

Jason was running on my right, he looked a little ill. I didn’t blame him, being given the news about his Mom must have felt like being handed a baby — a really loud, ugly baby — and said, here, this is yours. Carry it. I knew that feeling, I got it every time I thought about my crazy Mom. It wasn’t something anyone would want to carry. No one wanted to look at it or claim it. Who would want to know that he had an unstable mother who’d gotten rid of him to appease a goddess.

The more I heard about Beryl Grace, the more I understood why Thalia had run away. When Tori had left our family, after the hurricane, Luke and I had reached the snapping point and left too.

In a way, Thalia was luckier than Jason. She left – she found a way out, she found a new family. Jason couldn’t do that. Even if the option was available to him, which it wasn’t, he wasn’t the type to abandon people. I knew he’d stay and serve as best he could.

The golden backpack of winds was strapped over Jason’s shoulders. The closer they got to Aeolus’s palace, the more the winds struggled, rumbling and bumping around. I winced, feeling sorry for him.

The only one who seemed in a good mood was Gleeson. He kept bounding up the slippery staircase and trotting back down. “Come on, cupcakes! Only a few thousand more steps!”

I rolled my eyes, but there wasn’t real heat behind it – I was still on a bit of a sugar high from that delectable hot chocolate.

As we climbed, Leo, Piper and I left Jason in his silence. We could all sense his bad mood. Piper kept glancing back, worried, as if he were the one who’d almost died of hypothermia rather than she. Or maybe she was thinking about Thalia’s idea. We’d told her what Thalia had said on the bridge — how they could save both her dad and Hera — but I didn’t really understand how we were going to do that, and I wasn’t sure if the possibility had made me more hopeful or just more anxious.

Leo kept swatting his own legs, checking for signs that his pants were on fire. He wasn’t steaming anymore, but the incident on the ice bridge had really freaked me out. Leo hadn’t seemed to realize that he had smoke coming out his ears and flames dancing through his hair. If Leo started spontaneously combusting every time he got excited, we were going to have a tough time taking him anywhere. I imagined trying to get food at a restaurant. “I’ll have a cheeseburger and — Ahhh! My friend’s on fire! Get me a bucket!”

_Wow. Chill out._ I scolded myself. _You can’t make any long term plans._

Mostly, though, I worried about what Leo had said. An exchange, or a bridge or anything else, between Percy and Jason sounded dangerous. The thought of Jason getting hurt made me feel cold – over the last few days I… I respected him immensely. And I cared about him too. And Thalia had looked so unnerved when Leo mentioned the burned-out house in Jason’s dreams — the place the wolf Lupa had told him was his starting point. How did Thalia know that place, and why did she assume Jason could find it?

The answer seemed close, but I couldn’t imagine we’d find it very easily.

Finally we arrived at the top of the island. Bronze walls marched all the way around the fortress grounds, though I couldn’t imagine who would possibly attack this place. Twenty-foot-high gates opened for them, and a road of polished purple stone led up to the main citadel — a white-columned rotunda, Greek style, like one of the monuments in Washington, D.C. — except for the cluster of satellite dishes and radio towers on the roof.

“That’s bizarre,” Piper said.

“Looks like one of the old Doctor Who episodes.” I agreed.

“Guess you can’t get cable on a floating island,” Leo said. “Dang, check this guy’s front yard.”

The rotunda sat in the centre of a quarter-mile circle. The grounds were amazing in a scary way. They were divided into four sections like big pizza slices, each one representing a season.

The section on their right was an icy waste, with bare trees and a frozen lake. Snowmen rolled across the landscape as the wind blew, so I wasn’t sure if they were decorations or alive.

To our left was an autumn park with gold and red trees. Mounds of leaves blew into patterns — gods, people, animals that ran after each other before scattering back into leaves.

In the distance, I could see two more areas behind the rotunda. One looked like a green pasture with sheep made out of clouds. The last section was a desert where tumbleweeds scratched strange patterns in the sand like Greek letters, smiley faces, and a huge advertisement that read: _watch Aeolus nightly!_

“One section for each of the four wind gods,” Jason guessed. “Four cardinal directions.”

“I’m loving that pasture.” Gleeson licked his lips. “You guys mind—”

My phone buzzed in my back pocket. I cursed, slipping it out. 

**Unknown number.** Of course it would be - uh - whoever that was. Typical. Just what we needed right now. Cursing, I rejected the call, then switched my phone off completely, stuffing it in my back pack. Best not think about it for a while, really. Hopefully. Maybe. 

I could ask Chiron if we made it back to Camp. If we didn't, I don't suppose it would have mattered. 

Jaso gave me a curious look, but didn't ask to my relief. He turned back to Gleeson. “Go ahead,” He said. I was actually relieved he could send the satyr off. It would be hard enough getting on Aeolus’s good side without Gleeson waving his club and screaming, “Die!”

While the satyr ran off to attack springtime, Jason, Leo, Piper and I walked down the road to the steps of the palace. We passed through the front doors into a white marble foyer decorated with purple banners that read _Olympian weather channel_ , and some that just read _Ow!_

“Hello!” A woman floated up to us. Literally floated. She was pretty in that elfish way I associated with nature spirits at Camp Half-Blood like Juniper — petite, slightly pointy ears, and an ageless face that could’ve been sixteen or thirty. Her brown eyes twinkled cheerfully. Even though there was no wind, her dark hair blew in slow motion, shampoo-commercial style. Her white gown billowed around her like parachute material. I couldn’t tell if she had feet, but if so, they didn’t touch the floor. The woman was see-through. Her shape faded in and out like she was made of fog. She had a white tablet computer in her hand. “Are you from Lord Zeus?” she asked Jason. “We’ve been expecting you.”

“Are you a ghost?” Jason blurted. As horror dawned on me, I could vividly remember Percy and I mailing Medusa’s head to the gods as a massive middle finger – I reckon he and Jason would get on.

The woman's smile turned into a pout. “I’m an aura, sir. A wind nymph, as you might expect, working for the lord of the winds. My name is Mellie. We don’t have ghosts.”

Piper came to the rescue. “No, of course you don’t! My friend simply mistook you for Helen of Troy, the most beautiful mortal of all time. It’s an easy mistake.”

Wow, she was good. The compliment seemed a little over the top, but Mellie the aura blushed. “Oh… well, then. So you are from Zeus?”

“Er,” Jason said, “I’m the son of Zeus, yeah.”

“Excellent! Please, right this way.” She led us through some security doors into another lobby, consulting her tablet as she floated. She didn’t look where she was going, but apparently it didn’t matter as she drifted straight through a marble column with no problem. “We’re out of prime time now, so that’s good,” she mused. “I can fit you in right before his 11:12 spot.”

“Um, okay,” Jason said. We shared a look like ‘ _What the hell is going on?_ ’

The lobby was a pretty distracting place. Winds blasted around us, so I felt like we were pushing through an invisible crowd. Doors blew open and slammed by themselves.

The things I could see were just as bizarre. Paper airplanes of all different sizes and shapes sped around, and other wind nymphs, aurai, would occasionally pluck them out of the air, unfold and read them, then toss them back into the air, where the planes would refold themselves and keep flying.

An ugly harpy fluttered past. She had a wrinkled face with black hair tied in a hairnet, arms like a human plus wings like a chicken, and a fat, feathered body with talons for feet. It was amazing she could fly at all. She kept drifting around and bumping into things like a parade balloon.

“Not an aura?” Jason asked as she wobbled by.

I shook my head. “A harpy.”

Mellie laughed. “Our, ah, ugly stepsisters, I suppose you would say. Don’t you have harpies on Olympus? They’re spirits of violent gusts, unlike us aurai. We’re all gentle breezes.”

She batted her eyes at Jason.

“’Course you are,” he said.

I tried not to giggle and failed – I shared a look with Piper, who grinned.

“So,” Piper prompted, “you were taking us to see Aeolus?”

Mellie led us through a set of doors like an airlock. Above the interior door, a green light blinked.

“We have a few minutes before he starts,” Mellie said cheerfully. “He probably won’t kill you if we go in now. Come along!”

_Well, that was encouraging, wasn’t it?_

Mellie opened the door and my jaw dropped. The central section of Aeolus’s fortress was as big as a cathedral, with a soaring domed roof covered in silver. Television equipment floated randomly through the air — cameras, spotlights, set pieces, potted plants. And there was no floor. Leo almost fell into the chasm before Jason pulled him back.

“Holy—!” Leo gulped. “Hey, Mellie. A little warning next time!”

An enormous circular pit plunged into the heart of the mountain. It was probably half a mile deep, honeycombed with caves. Some of the tunnels probably led straight outside. Other caves were sealed with some glistening material like glass or wax. The whole cavern bustled with harpies, aurai, and paper airplanes, but for someone who couldn’t fly, it would be a very long, very fatal fall. Someone like Piper or Leo.

_Thanks for the shoes, big brother._ I thought, glancing up despite myself.

“Oh, my,” Mellie gasped. “I’m so sorry.” She unclipped a walkie-talkie from somewhere inside her robes and spoke into it: “Hello, sets? Is that Nuggets? Hi, Nuggets. Could we get a floor in the main studio, please? Yes, a solid one. Thanks.”

A few seconds later, an army of harpies rose from the pit — three dozen or so demon chicken ladies, all carrying squares of various building material. They went to work hammering and gluing — and using large quantities of duct tape, which didn’t reassure me. In no time there was a makeshift floor snaking out over the chasm. It was made of plywood, marble blocks, carpet squares, wedges of grass sod — just about anything.

I was seriously doubting this adhered to any health and safety regulations that had ever existed.

“That can’t be safe,” Jason said.

“Oh, it is!” Mellie assured him. “The harpies are very good.”

“Sure.” I nodded, voice a little higher than I intended. “Sounds legit.”

Easy for her to say. She just drifted across without touching the floor, but Jason seemed decide he had the best chance at surviving, since he could fly, so he stepped out first. Amazingly, the floor held.

Piper gripped his arm and followed him. “If I fall, you’re catching me.”

“You got it, Pipes.” He replied, one hand supporting her elbow.

Leo stepped out next. “You’re catching me, too, Superman. But I ain’t holding your hand.”

“I’ll hold your hand.” I volunteered, not completely listening to myself as I edged onto the ice. I only realised I’d come off slightly slutty when I glanced up at him. My cheeks felt hot. I couldn't tell if Jason was embarrassed or amused but he offered a hand either way. Nice change from being around Ethan.

I took it, mostly because I was afraid of falling to my death and trying to ignore the part of me that took it because I wanted to.

His had was warm. There were familiar callouses on his hand from holding a sword. I tried to ignore the (literal) spark that jolted through my hand.

Jason looked me. I couldn't tell what he was thinking. “You’re mad, Clara.” Usually, that kind of thing would have annoyed me, but there was something gentle in his voice that made me feel like the floor had turned to jelly.

“And you’re a nerd.” I replied, eyes trained on my feet again. I was convinced the floor was about to crack open and kill us all. I squeezed his hand.

Mellie led us toward the middle of the chamber, where a loose sphere of flat-panel video screens floated around a kind of control centre. A man hovered inside, checking monitors and reading paper airplane messages.

The man paid us no attention as Mellie brought us forward. She pushed a forty-two-inch Sony out of the way and led us into the control area.

Leo whistled. “I got to get a room like this.”

The floating screens showed all sorts of television programs. It took a moment, but I eventually recognised Hephaestus TV. I was just about done with the Gods the moment I saw that – in my defence, it had almost killed us the time Annabeth, Percy, Grover and I had run into it.

_The sun was sinking behind the mountains by the time we found the water park. Judging from the sign, it once had been called WATERLAND, but now some of the letters were smashed out, so it read WAT R A D._

_The main gate was padlocked and topped with barbed wire. Inside, huge dry waterslides and tubes and pipes curled everywhere, leading to empty pools. Old tickets and advertisements fluttered around the asphalt. With night coming on, the place looked sad and creepy._

_"If Ares brings his girlfriend here for a date," Percy said, staring up at the barbed wire, "I'd hate to see what she looks like."_

_Rolling my eyes, I elbowed him. “She won’t like that.” I pointed out._

_"Percy," Annabeth warned. "Be more respectful."_

_"Why? I thought you hated Ares."_

_“Everyone except the Ares Cabin hates Ares.” I said. Annabeth sighed._

_"He's still a god. And his girlfriend is very temperamental."_

_"You don't want to insult her looks," Grover added._

_"Who is she? Echidna?"_

_"No, Aphrodite," Grover said, a little dreamily. "Goddess of love."_

_"I thought she was married to somebody," Percy said. "Hephaestus."_

_"What's your point?" he asked._

_"Oh." There was a pause while Percy obviously wanted to change the subject. "So how do we get in?"_

_"Maia!" Grover and I beckoned and our shoes sprouted wings._

_We flew over the fence, Grover did an unintended somersault in mid-air, then stumbled to a landing on the opposite side. He dusted off his jeans, as if he'd planned the whole thing. "You guys coming?" I laughed into my hand and touched down gently – Luke wouldn’t be over the moon if I got back to Camp with broken bones._

_Annabeth and Percy had to climb the old-fashioned way, holding down the barbed wire for each other as they crawled over the top. It didn’t look like much fun, if I was honest._

_The shadows grew long as we walked through the park, checking out the attractions. There was AnkleBiterIsland, Head Over Wedgie, and Dude, Where's My Swimsuit?_

_No monsters came to get us. Nothing made the slightest noise._

_We found a souvenir shop that had been left open. Merchandise still lined the shelves: snow globes, pencils, postcards, and racks of—_

_"Clothes," Annabeth said. "Fresh clothes."_

_"Yeah," Percy said. "But you can't just—"_

_"Yes we can." I said, already grabbing clothes._

_Annabeth snatched an entire row of stuff of the racks and disappeared into the changing room. A few minutes later she came out in Waterland flower-print shorts, a big red Waterland T-shirt, and commemorative Waterland surf shoes. A Waterland backpack was slung over her shoulder, obviously stuffed with more goodies. I had a new pair of shorts on, but my top was surviving alright, so I left it on and stuffed a few extras in my bag, just in case._

_"What the heck." Grover shrugged. Soon, all four of us were decked out like walking advertisements for the defunct theme park._

_We continued searching for the Tunnel of Love. I got the feeling that the whole park was holding its breath. "So Ares and Aphrodite," Percy said, "they have a thing going?"_

_"That's old gossip, Percy," Annabeth told him._

_"Three-thousand-year-old gossip." I added._

_"What about Aphrodite's husband?"_

_"Well, you know," she said. "Hephaestus. The blacksmith. He was crippled when he was a baby, thrown off Mount Olympus by Zeus. So he isn't exactly handsome. Clever with his hands, and all, but Aphrodite isn't into brains and talent, you know?"_

_"She likes bikers."_

_"Whatever."_

_"Hephaestus knows?"_

_"Oh sure," Annabeth said. "He caught them together once. I mean, literally caught them, in a golden net, and invited all the gods to come and laugh at them. Hephaestus is always trying to embarrass them. That's why they meet in out-of-the-way places, like..."_

_She stopped, looking straight ahead. "Like that."_

_In front of us was an empty pool that would've been awesome for skateboarding. It was at least fifty yards across and shaped like a bowl._

_Around the rim, a dozen bronze statues of Cupid stood guard with wings spread and bows ready to fire. On the opposite side from us, a tunnel opened up, probably where the water flowed into when the pool was full. The sign above it read, THRILL RIDE O' LOVE: THIS IS NOT YOUR PARENTS' TUNNEL OF LOVE!_

_“You’re kidding.” I said. “I thought Aphrodite was a goddess not a Florida whor-”_

_“Clara!” Annabeth snapped._

_“What?” I said, staring at the ride in distaste, “It’s true.”_

_Grover crept toward the edge. "Guys, look."_

_Marooned at the bottom of the pool was a pink-and-white two-seater boat with a canopy over the top and little hearts painted all over it. In the left seat, glinting in the fading light, was Ares's shield, a polished circle of bronze._

_"This is too easy," Percy said. "So we just walk down there and get it?"_

_Annabeth ran her fingers along the base of the nearest Cupid statue._

_"There's a Greek letter carved here," she said. "Eta. I wonder ..."_

_"Grover," Percy said, "you smell any monsters?"_

_He sniffed the wind. "Nothing."_

_"Nothing — like, in-the-Arch-and-you-didn't-smell-Echidna nothing, or really nothing?"_

_Grover looked hurt. "I told you – that was underground."_

_"Okay, I'm sorry." Percy took a deep breath. "I'm going down there."_

_“I should too,” At Annabeth’s raised eyebrows I added defensively, “I’m good at stealing stuff.”_

_“Sure.” Percy grinned at me._

_"I'll go with you." Grover didn't sound too enthusiastic, but I got the feeling he was trying to make up for what had happened in St. Louis._

_"No," Percy told him. "I want you to stay up top with the flying shoes. You're the Red Baron, a flying ace, remember? I'll be counting on you for backup, in case something goes wrong."_

_Grover puffed up his chest a little. "Sure. But what could go wrong?"_

_"I don't know. Just a feeling. Annabeth, come with me—"_

_"Are you kidding?" She looked at him as if he'd just dropped from the moon. Her cheeks were bright red._

_"What's the problem now?" He demanded. I knew why she was upset, but I thought it was a bit overdramatic – everyone at Camp knew she liked Luke._ Everyone _._

_"Me, go with you to the... the 'Thrill Ride of Love'? How embarrassing is that? What if somebody saw me?"_

_"Who's going to see you?" But Percy’s face was burning now, too. "Fine," He told her, he didn’t look at me as we started down the side of the pool. Annabeth followed after a minute, muttering about how boys always messed things up._

_We reached the boat. The shield was propped on one seat, and next to it was a lady's silk scarf. I tried to imagine Ares and Aphrodite here, a couple of gods meeting in a junked-out amusement-park ride. Why? Then I noticed something I hadn't seen from up top: mirrors all the way around the rim of the pool, facing this spot. We could see ourselves no matter which direction we looked. That must be it. While Ares and Aphrodite were smooching with each other they could look at their favourite people: themselves._

_Typical gods._

_Percy picked up the scarf. It shimmered pink, and the perfume was indescribable — rose, or mountain laurel. Something good. He smiled, a little dreamy, and was about to rub the scarf against his cheek when Annabeth ripped it out of his hand and stuffed it in her pocket. "Oh, no you don't. Stay away from that love magic."_

_"What?"_

_"Just get the shield, Seaweed Brain, and let's get out of here."_

_The moment he touched the shield, I knew we were in trouble. Percy’s hand broke through something that had been connecting it to the dashboard. A cobweb, I thought, but then I looked at a strand of it on his palm and saw it was some kind of metal filament, so fine it was almost invisible. A trip wire._

_"Wait," Annabeth said._

_"Too late."_

_“We need to move.” I said, twisting around desperately to look out of the back._

_"There's another Greek letter on the side of the boat, another Eta. This is a trap."_

_Noise erupted all around us, of a million gears grinding, as if the whole pool were turning into one giant machine._

_Grover yelled, "Guys!"_

_Up on the rim, the Cupid statues were drawing their bows into firing position. Before I could suggest taking cover, they shot, but not at us. They fired at each other, across the rim of the pool. Silky cables trailed from the arrows, arcing over the pool and anchoring where they landed to form a huge golden asterisk. Then smaller metallic threads started weaving together magically between the main strands, making a net._

_"We have to get out," Percy said._

_"Duh!" Annabeth said._

_He grabbed the shield and we ran, but going up the slope of the pool was not as easy as going down. I got halfway up but tripped and fell._

_“Literal flying shoes.” Percy reminded me._

_“Oh yeah.” I nodded. “Maia.” I flew up the sides of the pool towards Grover. He was trying to hold open a section of the net for us, but wherever he touched it, the golden threads started to wrap around his hands. I reached him but the net wouldn’t move._

_“Maia.” I said again, irritated and slipping back down to join Percy and Annabeth._

_The Cupids' heads popped open. Out came video cameras. Spotlights rose up all around the pool, blinding us with illumination, and a loudspeaker voice boomed: "Live to Olympus in one minute... Fifty-nine seconds, fifty-eight..."_

_"Hephaestus!" Annabeth screamed. "I'm so stupid.' Eta is H.' He made this trap to catch his wife with Ares. Now we're going to be broadcast live to Olympus and look like absolute fools!"_

_I felt my blood pushing against my veins – the gods thought they could do whatever they wanted – they thought they had monopoly over everyone. Hephaestus hadn’t even cared that he might trap mortals._

_We'd almost made it to the rim when the row of mirrors opened like hatches and thousands of tiny metallic... things poured out._

_Annabeth screamed._

_It was an army of wind-up creepy-crawlies: bronze-gear bodies, spindly legs, little pincer mouths, all scuttling toward us in a wave of clacking, whirring metal._

_"Spiders!" Annabeth said. "Sp—sp—aaaah!"_

_I'd only seen her like this a few times. Annabeth hated spiders. She fell backward in terror and almost got overwhelmed by the spider robots before Percy pulled her up and dragged her back toward the boat. I scrambled with them, helping pull Annabeth onto the boat._

_The things were coming out from all around the rim now, millions of them, flooding toward the centre of the pool, completely surrounding us. I told myself they probably weren't programmed to kill, just corral us and bite us and make us look stupid. Then again, this was a trap meant for gods. And we weren't gods._

_Annabeth, Percy and I climbed into the boat. Percy and I started kicking away the spiders as they swarmed aboard. Percy yelled at Annabeth to help me, but she was too paralyzed to do much more than scream._

_"Thirty, twenty-nine," called the loudspeaker._

_“Shut up!” I screamed at it, drawing my knife even though I knew it wouldn’t help any._

_The spiders started spitting out strands of metal thread, trying to tie us down. The strands were easy enough to break at first, but there were so many of them, and the spiders just kept coming. Percy kicked one away from Annabeth's leg and its pincers took a chunk out of his new surf shoe. “Maia!” I called again, grabbing Annabth and flying upwards as much as I could._

_Grover hovered above the pool in his flying sneakers, trying to pull the net loose, but it wouldn't budge._

_"Fifteen, fourteen," the loudspeaker called._

_Panic was rally setting in – I had no idea what to do. Luke would know what to do in this situation. He always knew what to do._

_"Grover!" Percy yelled. "Get into that booth! Find the 'on' switch!"_

_"But—"_

_"Do it!" I had no idea what Percy was planning and Annabeth was screaming her head off. We had to get out of there._

_Grover was in the controller's booth now, slamming away at the buttons._

_"Five, four—"_

_Grover looked up at Percy hopelessly, raising his hands. He was letting him know that he'd pushed every button, but still nothing was happening._

_"Two, one, zero!"_

_Water exploded out of the pipes. It roared into the pool, sweeping away the spiders. Together, Percy and I pulled Annabeth into the seat between and fastened her seat belt just as the tidal wave slammed into our boat, over the top, whisking the spiders away and dousing us completely, but not capsizing us. The boat turned, lifted in the flood, and spun in circles around the whirlpool. I screamed in surprise before clamping a hand over my mouth and biting my lips._

_We were so going to die._

_The water was full of short-circuiting spiders, some of them smashing against the pool's concrete wall with such force they burst._

_Spotlights glared down at us. The Cupid-cams were rolling, live to Olympus._

_But I could only concentrate on trying not to fall out of the boat. We spun around one last time, the water level now almost high enough to shred us against the metal net. Then the boat's nose turned toward the tunnel and we rocketed through into the darkness._

_Annabeth, Percy and I held tight, all of us screaming as the boat shot curls and hugged corners and took forty-five-degree plunges past pictures of Romeo and Juliet and a bunch of other Valentine's Day stuff._

_Then we were out of the tunnel, the night air whistling through our hair as the boat barrelled straight toward the exit._

_If the ride had been in working order, we would've sailed off a ramp between the golden Gates of Love and splashed down safely in the exit pool. But there was a problem. The Gates of Love were chained. Two boats that had been washed out of the tunnel before us were now piled against the barricade — one submerged, the other cracked in half._

_"Unfasten your seat belt," Percy yelled to Annabeth._

_"Are you crazy?"_

_"Just do it!” I yelled._

_Percy strapped Ares's shield to his arm. "We're going to have to jump for it." His idea was simple and insane. As the boat struck, we would use its force like a springboard to jump the gate. I'd heard of people surviving car crashes that way, getting thrown thirty or forty feet away from an accident. With luck, we would land in the pool._

_Annabeth seemed to understand too. “Maia!” I called and grabbed a hold of Annabeth and Percy, hoping I could help give us more lift and a softer landing._

_"On my mark," Percy said._

_"No! On my mark!"_

_"What?"_

_"Simple physics!" she yelled. "Force times the trajectory angle—"_

_"Fine.'" I shouted, cutting her off. "On your mark!"_

_She hesitated... hesitated... then yelled, "Now!"_

_Crack!_

_Annabeth was right. She got us maximum lift._

_Unfortunately, that was a little more than we needed. Our boat smashed into the pileup and we were thrown into the air, straight over the gates, over the pool, and down toward solid asphalt._

_At the same time as I willed my shoes to fly us gently forwards – mostly anything except letting us splat on the concrete – something grabbed us from behind._

_Annabeth yelled, "Ouch!"_

_Grover!_

_In mid-air, he had grabbed Percy by the shirt, and Annabeth by the arm, and was trying to pull us out of a crash landing. There was too much momentum for just Grover._

_I willed my shoes to turn and, with Grover’s help, held onto Annabeth and Percy while pulling them backwards in mid-air._

_Thankfully it worked. We only hit the floor a little harder than we would have liked. But we mostly just dusted ourselves off._

_Once we caught our breath, Annabeth, Percy and I thanked Grover for saving our lives. I looked back at the Thrill Ride of Love. The water was subsiding. Our boat had been smashed to pieces against the gates._

_A hundred yards away, at the entrance pool, the Cupids were still filming. The statues had swivelled so that their cameras were trained straight on us, the spotlights in our faces._

_"Show's over!" Percy yelled. "Thank you! Good night!"_

_The Cupids turned back to their original positions. The lights shut off. The park went quiet and dark again, except for the gentle trickle of water into the Thrill Ride of Love's exit pool. I wondered if Olympus had gone to a commercial break, or if our ratings had been any good._

_I hated being teased. I hated being tricked. And I had plenty of experience handling bullies who liked to do that stuff to me._

_Percy hefted the shield on my arm and turned to us. "We need to have a little talk with Ares."_

The monitors still showed images from Hephaestus TV. I felt ill.

Gods were all the same. Pricks.


	27. twenty seven | the words we leave behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite the make-up, he looked like an old, very frightened man.

**xxvii**

**clara**

**December, 2015**

I was still holding Jason's hand. I almost wasn't nervous about meeting Aeolus. Almost. 

At the far end of the sphere was a silky blue backdrop like a cinema screen, with cameras and studio lights floating around it.

The man in the centre was talking into an earpiece phone. He had a remote control in each hand and was pointing them at various screens, seemingly at random.

He wore a business suit that looked like the sky — blue mostly, but dappled with clouds that changed and darkened and moved across the fabric. He looked like he was in his sixties, with a shock of white hair, but he had a ton of stage makeup on, and that smooth plastic-surgery look to his face, so he appeared not really young, not really old, just wrong — like a Ken doll someone had halfway melted in a microwave. His eyes darted back and forth from screen to screen, like he was trying to absorb everything at once. He muttered things into his phone, and his mouth kept twitching. He was either amused, or crazy, or both.

He sort of reminded me of my father when he’d check up on the world news, all at once.

Mellie floated toward him. “Ah, sir, Mr. Aeolus, these demigods—”

“Hold it!” He held up a hand to silence her, then pointed at one of the screens. “Watch!”

It was one of those storm-chaser programs, where insane thrill-seekers drive after tornados. As I watched, a Jeep ploughed straight into a funnel cloud and got tossed into the sky.

Aeolus shrieked with delight. “The Disaster Channel. People do that on purpose!” He turned toward Jason with a mad grin. “Isn’t that amazing? Let’s watch it again.”

I felt my heart drop – what the hell?

“Um, sir,” Mellie said, “this is Jason, son of—”

“Yes, yes, I remember,” Aeolus said. “You’re back. How did it go?”

Jason hesitated. “Sorry? I think you’ve mistaken me—”

“No, no, Jason Grace, aren’t you? It was — what — three years ago? You were on your way to fight a sea monster, I believe.”

_Son of Jupiter fighting a sea monster? Whose idea was that?_

“I — I don’t remember.”

Aeolus laughed. “Must not have been a very good sea monster! No, I remember every hero who’s ever come to me for aid. Odysseus — gods, he docked at my island for a month! At least you only stayed a few days. Now, watch this video. These ducks get sucked straight into—”

“Sir,” Mellie interrupted. “Two minutes to air.”

“Air!” Aeolus exclaimed. “I love air. How do I look? Makeup!”

Immediately a small tornado of brushes, blotters, and cotton balls descended on Aeolus. They blurred across his face in a cloud of flesh-tone smoke until his coloration was even more gruesome than before. Wind swirled through his hair and left it sticking up like a frosted Christmas tree.

I backed off without meaning too.

“Mr. Aeolus.” Jason slipped off the golden backpack. “We brought you these rogue storm spirits.”

“Did you!” Aeolus looked at the bag like it was a gift from a fan — something he really didn’t want. He could be a bit nicer about it, considering how we nearly died trying to get them. “Well, how nice.”

Leo nudged him, and Jason offered the bag. “Boreas sent us to capture them for you. We hope you’ll accept them and stop — you know — ordering demigods to be killed.”

_Nicely put, Grace._

Aeolus laughed, and looked incredulously at Mellie. “Demigods be killed — did I order that?”

Mellie checked her computer tablet. “Yes, sir, fifteenth of September. ‘Storm spirits released by the death of Typhon, demigods to be held responsible,’ etc… yes, a general order for them all to be killed.”

“That wasn’t our fault.” I said. “It was the gods that did that.”

He nodded, but I could tell he wasn’t paying that much attention. “I was just grumpy. Rescind that order, Mellie, and um, who’s on guard duty — Teriyaki? — Teri, take these storm spirits down to cell block Fourteen E, will you?” Aeolus said.

A harpy swooped out of nowhere, snatched the golden bag, and spiralled into the abyss.

Aeolus grinned at Jason. “Now, sorry about that kill-on-sight business. But gods, I really was mad, wasn’t I?” His face suddenly darkened, and his suit did the same, the lapels flashing with lightning. “You know… I remember now. Almost seemed like a voice was telling me to give that order. A little cold tingle on the back of my neck.”

I tensed. A cold tingle on the back of my neck… Why did that sound so familiar?

“A… um, voice in your head, sir?” Jason asked. His shoulders were tensed and sparks crackled across his fingers, funnily enough it didn't actually hurt, not like being electrocuted did.

“Yes. How odd. Mellie, should we kill them?”

“No, sir,” she said patiently. “They just brought us the storm spirits, which makes everything all right.”

“Of course.” Aeolus laughed. “Sorry. Mellie, let’s send the demigods something nice. A box of chocolates, perhaps.”

“A box of chocolates to every demigod in the world, sir?”

“No, too expensive. Never mind. Wait, it’s time! I’m on!”

Aeolus flew off toward the blue screen as newscast music started to play.

Jason looked at Piper, Leo and I, who were just as confused as he was.

“Mellie,” he said, “is he… always like that?”

She smiled sheepishly. “Well, you know what they say. If you don’t like his mood, wait five minutes. That expression ‘whichever way the wind blows’ — that was based on him.”

“And that thing about the sea monster,” Jason said. “Was I here before?”

Mellie blushed. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember. I’m Mr. Aeolus’s new assistant. I’ve been with him longer than most, but still — not that long.”

“How long do his assistants usually last?” Piper asked.

“Oh…” Mellie thought for a moment. “I’ve been doing this for… twelve hours?”

A voice blared from floating speakers: “And now, weather every twelve minutes! Here’s your forecaster for Olympian Weather — the OW! Channel — Aeolus!”

Lights blazed on Aeolus, who was now standing in front of the blue screen. His smile was unnaturally white, and he looked like he’d had so much caffeine his face was about to explode.

I’d been there – not fun.

“Hello, Olympus! Aeolus, master of the winds here, with weather every twelve! We’ll have a low-pressure system moving over Florida today, so expect milder temperatures since Demeter wishes to spare the citrus farmers!” He gestured at the blue screen, but when I checked the monitors, I saw that a digital image was being projected behind Aeolus, so it looked like he was standing in front of a U.S. map with animated smiley suns and frowny storm clouds.

“Along the eastern seaboard—oh, hold on.” He tapped his earpiece. “Sorry, folks! Poseidon is angry with Miami today, so it looks like that Florida freeze is back on! Sorry, Demeter. Over in the Midwest, I’m not sure what St. Louis did to offend Zeus, but you can expect winter storms! Boreas himself is being called down to punish the area with ice. Bad news, Missouri! No, wait. Hephaestus feels sorry for central Missouri, so you all will have much more moderate temperatures and sunny skies.”

_Hell, they were in a mess, weren’t they?_ I mean, at any given time the Gods changed their minds a hundred times a minute, but all this infighting was uncommon. To this level at least.

Aeolus kept going like that — forecasting each area of the country and changing his prediction two or three times as he got messages over his earpiece — the gods apparently putting in orders for various winds and weather.

“This can’t be right,” Jason whispered. “Weather isn’t this random.”

Mellie smirked. “And how often are the mortal weathermen right? They talk about fronts and air pressure and moisture, but the weather surprises them all the time. At least Aeolus tells us why it’s so unpredictable. Very hard job, trying to appease all the gods at once. It’s enough to drive anyone …”

She trailed off, but I knew what she meant. Mad. Aeolus was completely mad.

“And that’s the weather,” Aeolus concluded. “See you in twelve minutes, because I’m sure it’ll change!”

The lights shut off, the video monitors went back to random coverage, and just for a moment, Aeolus’s face sagged with weariness. Then he seemed to remember he had guests, and he put a smile back on.

“So, you brought me some rogue storm spirits,” Aeolus said. “I suppose… thanks! I suppose I can give this back to you then.” He pulled a piece of paper, seemingly out of thin and launched it across the room to me. I looked at him, confused.

"Lost when the Princess Andromeda exploded," Aeolus said, waving unconcerned.

I turned the piece of paper, folded, over and saw my name scrawled on it – well, not really my name, but it made my heart stop all the same.

_Little bug,_

I blinked at it. "How did you – Luke never–"My voice caught.

Aeolus rolled his eyes. "Like I said, it was on the Andromeda when it exploded." He looked at me again, grinning manically. "Your brother rambles, you know that? It makes for interesting reading."

I didn't reply. Just stared at the letter.

Apparently, Aeolus got bored of taunting me and asked Jason “Did you want something else? I assume so. Demigods always do.”

Mellie said, “Um, sir, this is Zeus’s son.”

“Yes, yes. I know that. I said I remembered him from before.”

“But, sir, they’re here from Olympus.”

Aeolus looked stunned. Then he laughed so abruptly, I almost jumped into the chasm.

“You mean you’re here on behalf of your father this time? Finally! I knew they would send someone to renegotiate my contract!”

“Um, what?” Jason asked. I seconded that: what contract?

“Oh, thank goodness!” Aeolus sighed with relief. “It’s been what, three thousand years since Zeus made me master of the winds. Not that I’m ungrateful, of course! But really, my contract is so vague. Obviously I’m immortal, but ‘master of the winds.’ What does that mean? Am I a nature spirit? A demigod? A god? I want to be god of the winds, because the benefits are so much better. Can we start with that?”

Jason looked at us, mystified.

“Dude,” Leo said, “you think we’re here to promote you?”

“You are, then?” Aeolus grinned. His business suit turned completely blue — not a cloud in the fabric. “Marvellous! I mean, I think I’ve shown quite a bit of initiative with the weather channel, eh? And of course I’m in the press all the time. So many books have been written about me: Into Thin Air, Up in the Air, Gone with the Wind—”

“Er, I don’t think those are about you,” Jason said, before he noticed Mellie shaking her head.

“Nonsense,” Aeolus said. “Mellie, they’re biographies of me, aren’t they?”

“Absolutely, sir,” she squeaked.

“There, you see? I don’t read. Who has time? But obviously the mortals love me. So, we’ll change my official title to god of the winds. Then, about salary and staff—”

“Sir,” Jason said, “we’re not from Olympus.”

Aeolus blinked. “But—”

“I’m the son of Zeus, yes,” Jason said, “but we’re not here to negotiate your contract. We’re on a quest and we need your help.”

Aeolus’s expression hardened. “Like last time? Like every hero who comes here? Demigods! It’s always about you, isn’t it?”

“Sir, please, I don’t remember last time, but if you helped me once before—”

“I’m always helping! Well, sometimes I’m destroying, but mostly I’m helping, and sometimes I’m asked to do both at the same time! Why, Aeneas, the first of your kind—”

“My kind?” Jason asked. “You mean, demigods?”

“Oh, please!” Aeolus said. “I mean your line of demigods. You know, Aeneas, son of Venus — the only surviving hero of Troy. When the Greeks burned down his city, he escaped to Italy, where he founded the kingdom that would eventually become Rome, blah, blah, blah. That’s what I meant.”

“I don’t get it,” Jason admitted.

I did. I didn’t want to, but I did.

_Yay, Roman demigods._

_No._

_No, not ‘_ yay _’._

_We’re so screwed_.

Aeolus rolled his eyes. “The point being, I was thrown in the middle of that conflict, too! Juno calls up: ‘Oh, Aeolus, destroy Aeneas’s ships for me. I don’t like him.’ Then Neptune says, ‘No, you don’t! That’s my territory. Calm the winds.’ Then Juno is like, ‘No, wreck his ships, or I’ll tell Jupiter you’re uncooperative!’ Do you think it’s easy juggling requests like that?”

“No,” Jason said. “I guess not.”

“And don’t get me started on Amelia Earhart! I’m still getting angry calls from Olympus about knocking her out of the sky!”

“Which isn’t exactly uncalled for.” I pointed out before realising I’d just defended a god and wondered if it would be too dramatic to bite my tongue off.

Leo stifled a snort and Piper looked slightly pained.

“We just want information,” Piper said in her most calming voice. “We hear you know everything.”

Aeolus straightened his lapels and looked slightly mollified. “Well … that’s true, of course. For instance, I know that this business here” — he waggled his fingers at the four of us — “this hare brained scheme of Juno’s to bring you all together is likely to end in bloodshed. As for you, Piper McLean, I know your father is in serious trouble.” He held out his hand, and a scrap of paper fluttered into his grasp. It was a photo of Piper with a guy who must’ve been her dad. His face did look familiar. I was pretty sure I’d seen him in some movies.

Piper took the photo. Her hands were shaking. “This — this is from his wallet.”

“Yes,” Aeolus said. “All things lost in the wind eventually come to me. The photo blew away when the Earthborn captured him.”

“The what?” Piper asked.

Aeolus waved aside the question and narrowed his eyes at Leo. “Now, you, son of Hephaestus… yes, I see your future.” Another paper fell into the wind god’s hands — an old tattered drawing done in crayons.

Leo took it as if it might be coated in poison. He staggered backward.

“Leo?” Jason said. “What is it?”

“Something I — I drew when I was a kid.” He folded it quickly and put it in his coat. “It’s… yeah, it’s nothing.”

Aeolus laughed. “Really? Just the key to your success! Castellan – I really wish you'd stop being so forgetful.” He turned to me and I stepped backwards on instinct. He summoned a third sheet of paper and launched it towards me.

When I recognised the folded up napkin, I almost threw up.

_You were hot when you were talking theology._

I could remember Ethan sliding it to me, across the Starbucks table somewhere deep in Louisiana.

_After the service ended, I stood up from the pew and headed into the aisle, following Ethan._

_I hadn’t been into a church in years, Luke didn’t like it. Luke didn’t like any god – Greek or otherwise. We used to visit the Church near us when we still lived in the Lower Ninth Ward, Miss Emily would take us a lot, she was a pretty strict Catholic, she tried to take our Mom too, to safe her immortal soul, but Mom wouldn’t go._

_Personally, I didn’t believe attending mass would save my immortal soul, but it was worth a shot I suppose; helping Luke to kill the rest of the Gods certainly wasn’t going to do it. It seemed like the right thing to do? Just out of respect. Miss Emily had helped Luke, Tori and I so much when we were growing up, if she thought it would help us then I’d go._

_Some of it made sense too. In theory, at least. The world seemed like it would be a much nicer place if everyone went with the whole ‘be nice to each other’ thing. The community made me feel like everything wasn’t going to go to hell. The soup kitchens and shelters the Catholic Church had set up around America were practically the only thing that stopped Luke ad I starving to death on the streets (for the first year or so at least) so I was grateful to them as well._

_And, anyway, it wasn’t like I’d taken off the crucifix necklace Miss Emily had given me._

_I could tell Ethan wasn’t really on the same page. He was only here because Luke had ordered him to look after me. He’d half fallen asleep, but I wasn’t that annoyed – it was hard to get annoyed with Ethan since his mother had taken his eye._

_“So,” Ethan said as we walked away from the Church and towards the car Luke had lent us, “One set of gods you’re willing to tear down, but a different guy you’ll worship?”_

_I shook my head. “I don’t believe in Capital G.” I admitted._

_Ethan looked at me, completely deadpan. “That makes even less sense.”_

_I almost went to explain, but Ethan shook his head and pulled me down the street towards the MacDonald’s on the corner. “Come on, explain.”_

_I shook my head again. “Starbucks,” I bartered, “And I’ll explain.”_

_Ethan looked at me tiredly, part of me felt guilt for being difficult, but since he did switch courses so he was walking towards Starbucks I didn’t think he was that angry with me._

_“Why can’t you just be a normal redneck for once?” He looked mournfully back towards the MacDonald’s._

_“Not a redneck.” I said, disconnectedly. I wished Luke was with me, he would’ve understood._

_When we did get into Starbucks, Ethan pointed me towards the small table at the back of the shop, promising to get us both a drink and dismissing me with a quick peck to the cheek. I walked over to the table and slid into the seat, absentmindedly fiddling with the crucifix around my neck._

_Honestly, I was a bit uncomfortable; I wanted to get back onto the Princess Andromeda, or at least the hotel we were staying at if Luke’s business was taking that long to clear up. I knew Ethan didn’t want that though, Luke would flip if he found out about Ethan and me. I’d be happy to break it off if it bothered Luke that much, but I knew Ethan wouldn’t be._

_I was trying to explain it, and not making too much sense, when Ethan pulled a biro out of his pocket and a napkin towards him. I started._

_“Go on.” He said._

_“That’s mostly it,” I shrugged, a little uncomfortable._

_“Clara,” He frowned, looking up from whatever he was noting down on the napkin, “I said keep talking.”_

_I clawed desperately for something to say – Ethan tended to get mad if I ignored him – and eventually leaned down in my chair. “I just feel like there’s less expectations with only one god, that’s all.” I thought for a moment. “Also – less monsters.”_

_Ethan winced at my joke. He started to slide the paper across the table. “I told you-” He began._

_“I know,” I sighed, “Sorry.”_

_He scowled. I ignored him and looked down to read the napkin._ You were hot when you were talking theology. _I didn’t really know what I was supposed to say; Ethan and I hadn’t been ‘together’ very long and I couldn’t ask anyone else. Luke would freak, Chris Rodriquez would just tell Luke and I didn’t trust anyone else on the ship enough to even think about asking them._

_“Thanks.” I said to Ethan, staring at the table and feeling a little ill._

“Now,” Aeolus started, but Jason turned to look at me. I must have let go of his hand at some point, because I felt cold without it. He laid a gentle hand on my arm.

“Clara, you alright?” He asked softly. I nodded, but that just made the urge to throw up even stronger. The phantom feeling of Ethan’s hands crawled across my skin. I never wanted to see that little scrap again. I didn’t want to think about Ethan again.

I nodded, but I could tell Jason didn’t believe me. I pushed the napkin towards him, he took it out of my hands and shoved it in his back pocket. I was glad – I didn’t want to see it, but I needed to be the one to get rid of it.

The letter was still clutched in my hand, feeling like it was burning a hole through it.

“Where were we?” Aeolus sounded slightly annoyed. “Ah, yes, you wanted information. Are you sure about that? Sometimes information can be dangerous.”

He smiled at Jason like he was issuing a challenge. Behind him, Mellie shook her head in warning.

“Yeah,” Jason said. “We need to find the lair of Enceladus.”

Aeolus’s smile melted. “The giant? Why would you want to go there? He’s horrible! He doesn’t even watch my program!”

Piper held up the photo. “Aeolus, he’s got my father. We need to rescue him and find out where Hera is being held captive.”

“Now, that’s impossible,” Aeolus said. “Even I can’t see that, and believe me, I’ve tried. There’s a veil of magic over Hera’s location — very strong, impossible to locate.”

“She’s at a place called the Wolf House,” Jason said.

“Hold on!” Aeolus put a hand to his forehead and closed his eyes. “I’m getting something! Yes, she’s at a place called the Wolf House! Sadly, I don’t know where that is.”

“Enceladus does,” Piper persisted. “If you help us find him, we could get the location of the goddess—”

“Yeah,” Leo said, catching on. “And if we save her, she’d be really grateful to you—”

“She has Zeus’ ear.” I added. “She could persuade him to do what she wants.”

“She could get Zeus to promote you,” Jason finished.

Aeolus’s eyebrows crept up. “A promotion — and all you want from me is the giant’s location?”

“Well, if you could get us there, too,” Jason amended, “that would be great.”

Mellie clapped her hands in excitement. “Oh, he could do that! He often sends helpful winds—”

“Mellie, quiet!” Aeolus snapped. “I have half a mind to fire you for letting these people in under false pretences.”

Her face paled. “Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.”

“It wasn’t her fault,” Jason said. “But about that help …”

Aeolus tilted his head as if thinking. Then I realized the wind lord was listening to voices in his earpiece.

_Well, we’re screwed then, aren’t we?_

“Well… Zeus approves,” Aeolus muttered. “He says … he says it would be better if you could avoid saving her until after the weekend, because he has a big party planned — Ow! That’s Aphrodite yelling at him, reminding him that the solstice starts at dawn. She says I should help you. And Hephaestus… yes. Hmm.”

My stomach dropped, I could tell where this was going.

“Very rare they agree on anything. Wait… Hermes says she should be freed and to remember your oath.” He shot a look at me, which helped exactly nothing because I had no idea what he was talking about. “Hold on…”

Jason smiled at us. I grimaced, feeling the familiar resentment burn in my chest. I had no fond feelings for my father and being told what to do by him, regardless of how sensible the instruction actually was, just made me want to do the opposite.

Back toward the entrance, I heard a loud belch. Coach Hedge waddled in from the lobby, grass all over his face. Mellie saw him coming across the makeshift floor and caught her breath. “Who is that?”

Jason stifled a cough. “That? That’s just Coach Hedge. Uh, Gleeson Hedge. He’s our…” I wasn’t sure what Jason was meant to call him: teacher, friend, problem?

“Our guide.”

_Diplomatic, Gracie. I'm impressed._

“He’s so goatly,” Mellie murmured.

Behind her, Piper poofed out her cheeks, pretending to vomit.

“Oh my god, its like Grover and Juniper all over again.” I giggled, pushing one hand against my mouth to try and stop myself.

Piper looked at me like what, but I couldn’t stop laughing long enough to explain. “Tell you later. Promise.” I said. She looked slightly bemused but nodded.

“What’s up, guys?” Hedge trotted over. “Wow, nice place. Oh! Sod squares.”

“Coach, you just ate,” Jason said. “And we’re using the sod as a floor. This is, ah, Mellie—”

“An aura.” Hedge smiled winningly. “Beautiful as a summer breeze.”

Mellie blushed.

“And Aeolus here was just about to help us,” Jason said. I couldn’t tell if he was unfazed, or just ignoring the added crazy.

“Yes,” the wind lord muttered. “It seems so. You’ll find Enceladus on Mount Diablo.”

“Devil Mountain?” Leo asked. “That doesn’t sound good.”

“I remember that place!” Piper said. “I went there once with my dad. It’s just east of San Francisco Bay.”

“The Bay Area again?” I asked, almost completely resigned to the horror this quest had been bringing in waves, but not quite ready to go with the flow.

The coach shook his head. “Not good. Not good at all.”

“Now…” Aeolus began to smile. “As to getting you there—”

Suddenly his face went slack. He bent over and tapped his earpiece as if it were malfunctioning. When he straightened again, his eyes were wild. Despite the makeup, he looked like an old man — an old, very frightened man. “She hasn’t spoke to me for centuries. I can’t — yes, yes I understand.”

He swallowed, regarding Jason as if he had suddenly turned into a giant cockroach. “I’m sorry, son of Jupiter. New orders. You all have to die.”

Mellie squeaked. “But — but, sir! Zeus said to help them. Aphrodite, Hermes, Hephaestus—”

“Mellie!” Aeolus snapped. “Your job is already on the line. Besides, there are some orders that transcend even the wishes of the gods, especially when it comes to the forces of nature.”

“Whose orders?” Jason said. “Zeus will fire you if you don’t help us!”

“I doubt it.” Aeolus flicked his wrist, and far below us, a cell door opened in the pit. I could hear storm spirits screaming out of it, spiralling up toward them, howling for blood.

“Even Zeus understands the order of things,” Aeolus said. “And if she is waking — by all the gods — she cannot be denied. Good-bye, heroes. I’m terribly sorry, but I’ll have to make this quick. I’m back on the air in four minutes.”

Jason summoned his sword. I shoved the letter slid my Klevo into my spare hand. Coach Hedge pulled out his club. Mellie the aura yelled, “No!”

She dived at our feet just as the storm spirits hit with hurricane force, blasting the floor to pieces, shredding the carpet samples and marble and linoleum into what should’ve been lethal projectiles, had Mellie’s robes not spread out like a shield and absorbed the brunt of the impact. The six of us fell into the pit, and Aeolus screamed above them, “Mellie, you are so fired!”

“Quick,” Mellie yelled. “Son of Zeus, do you have any power over the air?”

“A little!”

“Then help me, or you’re all dead!” Mellie grabbed his hand, and an electric charge went through Jason’s arm. Then it clicked what she wanted. They had to control our fall and head for one of the open tunnels. The storm spirits were following us down, closing rapidly, bringing with them a cloud of deadly shrapnel.

Jason grabbed Piper’s arm. “Group hug!”

_Sure_ , I thought frantically, _Hugging is good_.

Hedge, Leo, Piper and I tried to huddle together, hanging on to Jason and Mellie as they fell.

“This is NOT GOOD!” Leo yelled.

“Try flame on!” I yelled to Leo, without consciously deciding to say it.

“Screw off!” He shrieked back.

“Bring it on, gas bags!” Hedge yelled up at the storm spirits. “I’ll pulverize you!”

“He’s magnificent,” Mellie sighed.

“Concentrate?” Jason prompted.

“Right!” she said.

They channelled the wind so our fall became more of a tumble into the nearest open chute. Still, we slammed into the tunnel at painful speed and went rolling over each other down a steep vent that was not designed for people. There was no way we could stop.

Mellie’s robes billowed around her. We clung to her desperately, and we began to slow down, but the storm spirits were screaming into the tunnel behind us.

_Have I mentioned I hate falling?_

_Because I hate falling._

“Can’t — hold — long,” Mellie warned. “Stay together! When the winds hit—”

“You’re doing great, Mellie,” Hedge said. “My own mama was an aura, you know. She couldn’t have done better herself.”

“Iris-message me?” Mellie pleaded.

Hedge winked.

“Could you guys plan your date later?” Piper screamed. “Look!”

Behind us, the tunnel was turning dark. I could feel my ears pop as the pressure built.

“Can’t hold them,” Mellie warned. “But I’ll try to shield you, do you one more favour.”

“Thanks, Mellie,” Jason said. “I hope you get a new job.”

She smiled, and then dissolved, wrapping us in a warm gentle breeze. Then the real winds hit, shooting us into the sky so fast I blacked out.


End file.
